When the Day Met the Night
by reneexx
Summary: Four weeks after Eric confronted her, Sookie has taken to avoiding him as much as possible. But word travels quickly when Sam forces her to take a few days off, and Eric decides to take matters into his own hands.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is my first Southern Vampire Mysteries fanfiction, so I hope it's all right! I haven't read the eighth book yet (library doesn't carry it, so I'm waiting for paperback, sigh) but this IS set after the eighth book. I'm aware of the basic plotline, but not really the time frame. So if I do mess it up, or mix up what happened in the eighth book, don't hesitate to correct me, I'd appreciate it! Anyways, hope you like. :)

**Rating:** "M" for future content.

**Disclaimer**: "When the Day Met the Night" is a song owned by Panic! at the Disco. And the Sookie Stackhouse novels are the works of Charlaine Harris, not me! Please don't sue.

* * *

Feckless. When I peeled off yesterday's page on my word of the day calender this morning, I had been expecting a word I could use in a situation today or to describe someone. But once I read the definition, I was stunned. Feckless. Weak and ineffective. Now it's seven P.M. and I've been at work for nearly an hour and a half- on most days a time slot that would give me the opportunity to effectively use my word of the day- and I can only think of one thing to call feckless.

Myself.

It has been four weeks since everything went down at Rhodes. Four weeks since Eric confessed that he remembered everything, and told me that we would have to talk about everything. Two weeks ago he began calling me every other night or so, under the false pretense of wanting to know how my day was. After all the small talk, he would ask me the same question- "We need to have our discussion, lover. When will you be available?" And every time, I would stammer and make up an excuse about having no time.

Which, in some way, is true. Since I got back from Rhodes, I've thrown myself into work, and I haven't taken a day off. Which is great, because I do need the money, but at the same time, has been exhausting. Then again, I do have a majority of the night off, considering I've mostly been working afternoons at Merlotte's. But when I think about sitting down with Eric, rehashing his stay at my house and sorting through my feelings about him, I get panicky. Truth be told, I'm not even sure what feelings I have for him; and I'm definitely not sure that I want to try and figure them out with that particular tall, blond, and handsome Viking vampire.

Strong enough to risk my life to save his, (among the lives of a few others) but not strong enough to confront my feelings.

I, Sookie Stackhouse, am weak when it comes to confrontation. I am feckless. I quickly replaced the frown that had come along with that thought with a pleasant grin. Maybe when I get home tonight I'll look up the word again- maybe I'm using it wrong.

Though it was a Thursday night, Merlotte's was unusually busy. Considering I didn't want to think about what my mind was dwelling on, this was great for me. I took orders and smiled politely and worked my butt off. Somewhere in the back of my brain, though, my situation was nagging at me. After I brought another pitcher of beer to a group of middle aged men in my section, I found Sam and asked him if I could go out for my break. He eyed me warily, focused on my eyes for a minute or so and had me follow him into his office.

"What's this about, Sam? Did I do something wrong? I don't have to take my break right now, I can-"

Sam chuckled a little and shook his head, abruptly cutting me off. "No, Sookie, you didn't do anything wrong. To be honest, I think you need to go home."

Going home hardly seemed reasonable, and I told him so. The twinkle of amusement in his eyes faded and he took on a look of concern.

"I hate to be harsh, Sook, but this is non-negotiable. You have Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off, and you know what? Now that I've thought about it, I want you to take tomorrow off, too." He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest and I opened my mouth to protest. "No. You've been working without any time off since you got back. You need time for yourself, whether I have to force you to take it or not."

It didn't sound fair to me, him telling me what to do, but I checked myself before reminding him that I was capable of making my own decisions. Sam has been nothing but a good friend to me since day one, and it would be nice to have some time off. I could do my laundry and clean the rest of the house, a task that hasn't been done thoroughly in weeks. So instead of arguing, I sighed and reached up to make sure my ponytail was still up high.

"You're right... Thanks, Sam." He pulled me into a tight hug and left, so I got my purse and headed home.

* * *

The mood around my house was quiet, and I couldn't help but narrow my eyes in suspicion as I pulled around to the back door. Sure enough, there was Pam, sitting on my back porch, in what I like to call her "downtime." Her eyes opened when I stepped up towards the door and she rose to her feet, seemingly unsure of how to greet me.

"Hi, Pam," I offered with a quick smile before turning my attention to unlocking the door. "Would you like to come in and have a True Blood?" Without turning to look at her, I headed straight into the house and pulled a True Blood from the fridge, popped the lid off and stuck it in the microwave. Since I began to accept my association with vampires, I was being more careful about keeping a plentiful amount of the Japanese-developed synthetic blood. Once the blood was done heating I pulled it out and slid it on the table in front of Pam, not really surprised that she had sat down at my kitchen table noiselessly.

"I'm going to take a guess here and say that you were not lying about being busy," Pam said, her nose wrinkling in distaste, "I can smell the dust gathering on the table."

Leave it to Pam to make you feel good about yourself. "Yeah... I've been working a lot," I explained with a shrug of my shoulders and sat down. "What are you doing h-"

For the second time that night, I was cut off abruptly. "But not the night shift, I see. It isn't even eight yet and yet, here you are." She raised her eyebrows and I sighed, exasperated. Maybe I was just tired, but I couldn't see what she was getting at.

"Ah, yes... here I am..?" I raised an eyebrow, crossed my arms over the table and leaned towards her. She mimicked my movement smoothly, mirroring the look of confusion I'm sure I had on my face. "Like I was saying, what are you doing here?"

"For some reason, I was expecting a call from you, or even a visit. I read in Dear Abby that to gain and maintain a friendship, it is necessary to keep in contact." She looked unsure of herself as she spoke, most likely because she truly didn't know how to "maintain" a friendship. Most vampires lost their sense of humanity after a hundred years or so.

Her confession startled me, though. "Honestly, Pam, I didn't know you considered us friends. And anyways, it takes two to tango. You could have just as easily picked up the phone yourself."

Pam rolled her eyes and chuckled heartily. "Yes, Sookie, that's why I came by. I figured _you_ weren't coming so it was time to take matters into my own hands. And as your friend, I would be _honored_ if you would accompany me to Fangtasia tonight," she finished excitedly. Something about the way she said it made it sound fishy. I raised both my eyebrows and Pam let out a breath. "You are human, Sookie, you should be well aware that friends go out together," she accused.

"Why Fangtasia?"

"I am not a fan of your bar. You are too much of a danger magnet for me to take you elsewhere. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't keep you safe?" She grinned broadly, a grin I'm assuming meant she was proud of her humane logic.

It seemed suspicious to me, her showing up unexpected and asking me to come to Fangtasia with her. Pam looked genuine, though, and even if this was a ploy it would be nice to do something other than work. Without any further hesitation I pushed myself to my feet and gave her a weak smile. "Alright, Pam. Just let me get changed."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So it looks like I did make a mistake! There were a few weeks in between the takeover and Eric remembering everything (thank you, _SEOrwin_!) so my timing _is_ off. I'll adjust the summary (does anyone know how many weeks were between the two events?) And we'll just assume it's been four weeks since Eric told her he remembered everything. :) By the way, I was surprised at all the story alert notices I was receiving. I'm so glad there were so many who liked this! I'm really thankful to have so many readers. And also, I'll be doing a recap at the beginning of every chapter; I know when you're trying to keep up with a lot it gets frustrating to have to go back a few chapters to remember which story it is! :)

**Recap: **Sookie is given four days off- Friday through Monday. When she got home from work, Pam was waiting for her and talked her into going to Fangtasia with her for "girl time."

* * *

As suspected, letting Pam drive us to Fangtasia would prove to be a whirlwind; by the time she had pulled into a parking space I was hyperventilating and my eyes were wide. It was not news to me that the undead were particularly careless drivers, but never had I gotten from Bon Temps to Shreveport in _under_ half an hour. Even Eric's driving wasn't this reckless! The thought of him only made my breathing faster and my chest pound harder. Pam casted a look at me and rolled her eyes as she turned off the engine.

"Really, Sookie, you need to calm down. You're alive and everything," she smirked. When she realized I wasn't going to move she let out a frustrated sigh, leaned over, and unbuckled my seatbelt. As I began to regulate my breathing I felt a sharp pinch on my arm and screeched.

"Ow! Pam! What the hell!" It came out sounding much like a whine but I didn't care. Vampire strength never ceased to amaze me. Just a pinch could feel like someone jabbed a knife into your arm.

Pam just shrugged her shoulders and got out the car and I followed suit. "What is that phrase humans use so often? Is it, 'Pinch me, I'm dreaming?'" She turned to look at me over her shoulder and smiled as she led me into the bar. "I assumed being here might have been giving you _very_ vivid dreams, so I thought it best to, ah, wake you up."

No sooner were we out the car before we were seated at a booth in the bar. The music, pounding and pulsating and rhythmic as always, was blaring loudly and bodies thronged together on the dance floor. Felicia was behind the bar mixing drinks with an impressive speed to keep up with the crowd, and waitresses weaved expertly through the swarm of people. A waitress I didn't recognize placed a gin-and-tonic in front of me and was gone before I could thank her. As if reading my thoughts, Pam spoke up.

"Thursday is the new Friday here. I hear in places like California bars get packed like this all the time. Even on Tuesdays," she added with a bit of disgust. Pam apparently wasn't one to enjoy an after-work bar crowd. At Merlotte's, there wasn't much business during the work week but I am definitely one to believe that it would be a common thing in a big place like California. She interrupted my thoughts with a sigh. "It is a very good thing we are not open on Tuesdays."

With that I looked up and realized I didn't really know Fangtasia's hours or night schedule. "Are Tuesdays the only days you're closed?"

She shook her head. "Wednesdays, too. And every other week we close early on Sundays. Inventory, you know," she made a frilly hand gesture as if to say, _whatever that is_. I nodded dully and glanced around the bar, doing a quick fangbanger mental scan.

_Just wanna be touched by one of these vampires I need some so bad just need a touch or a good fuck.._

_She's so beautiful so charming need her want her to bite me want it now..._

_So hot when he bites down mm if we keep dancing like this we're going to need to leave soon..._

_Don't know why they sent me here don't know what I'm looking for wait I think that's him..._

The thoughts of sex weren't surprising to me, but the last thought I picked up on definitely was. Getting sent here? My head turned sharply as I examined for whose mind that was. But just as quickly as I had picked up on him, he was gone. Could he have left? Who was it, and who was he talking about?

"Ladies! Lovely to see you both. Sookie, you look delectable as always."

I froze in the middle of my scan and looked upwards- way upwards. My head was tilted all the way back so I could look into the eyes of the person I had been trying so hard to avoid for the past four weeks. He looked handsome as always in a tight-fitting v-necked black shirt and jeans, amusement playing across his chiseled features. His smile was wide and I felt a longing surge through me before I contained myself. Apparently, I wasn't fast enough- he seemed to feel it across the bond and he quirked an eyebrow. Pam shot me a look, almost expectantly, but I sat silent, unsure of what excuse I could give to bolt. Without a car, my options were limited, and my stomach churned when I realized Pam had done this all on purpose. Irritation passed through me as I began to suspect all of this as Eric's doing. I narrowed my eyes and glanced at Pam, a small smile on her lips, and then up at Eric, still grinning down at me. Pam mumbled something about helping Felicia and was gone; Eric quickly replaced her seat and folded his arms on the table. I quickly forgot about the missing suspicious thought.

"Well, Sookie, have you anything to say to me? An apology, perhaps?" The smile was gone, his look unreadable.

"Ah, no... As you know, I have been working. I'm not going to apologize for doing what I need to do to survive, Eric. Gotta make money," I snapped, trying to hide the fact that I was eying all my escape routes. I mimicked his movement and folded my arms on the table, trying to look like I was at ease.

But I had the feeling now was when our "discussion" would happen. And I'm not in the least bit prepared.

He frowned. "No need to get feisty. But, you work too much to make too little," he held up his hands in mock surrender as I opened my mouth to protest, "Though I understand you enjoy what you do. I was pleased to hear you are finally taking a few days off."

How did I know he would hear about that? Maybe he was the reason Sam was giving me time off. Maybe Eric made him do it. "Yup. Tomorrow through Monday."

"It is such a coincidence..."

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

"... because I, too, will have some time off. Maybe we should spend our time off together. It will give us the opportunity to have our discussion." He leaned forward and captured my hands, holding both of them in his and raised them to his lips. "It has been too long. I have missed you."

That was it. I rose to my feet and tugged my hands away, searching desperately for a way out. I could walk around the street corner and use a pay phone if I could find one. Or maybe someone would lend me a cell phone so that I could call a cab. "Oh, Eric, gee. I mean, I've really got a lot to do around the house, and-"

"Sookie, I do not like that you are avoiding me. We do need to talk about this. I am not trying to make you feel uncomfortable but we cannot let this, ah, hang in the air. If you would like, I will take you home now so that you may... clean, but I will do so only if I am guaranteed we will talk tomorrow. Otherwise, we will do it now."

I mulled it over. Talk now, get it done and over with in the middle of bar full of fangbangers and eager vampires. Talk later, but have to endure a car ride with Eric and then see him _again_ tomorrow. _The car ride would be short... and I could think about what to say..._

"Will you please take me home? We can talk tomorrow."

He grinned, obviously pleased, and grasped my hand before leading me out of the bar to his Corvette. I was surprised when he put his seat belt on, and looked over at me expectantly until I clicked mine into place. The ride was silent, and not as short as the ride with Pam was, but it was calm in its own way. Eric pulled around to the back of my house, and I was touched that he remembered the way I liked to enter my house. Without a word, he leaned over and kissed my cheek. Amazingly chaste for a Viking vampire with a usually eager gracious plenty. I wet my lips at the thought and caught the beginnings of a smirk on his lips as my emotions crossed his in the blood bond. He was sending it back twice as hard.

"Err, thank you, Eric. I guess I'll, ah, see you tomorrow," I stammered and pushed out the car door, nearly falling onto the gravel.

"It was my pleasure, Sookie. Until the night falls again." He winked and pulled away quickly.

Great. So now to clean and over think.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Just read the 8th book and decided I had to completely change the direction of this story. Now I know how Eric acted throughout everything and it just changes... everything! So I apologize in advance because there might be a delay on the new chapters.

**Recap:** At Fangtasia, Sookie hears a suspicious thought from a potentially dangerous man, but her concentration is broken by Eric. He reveals that he also has the next few days off (Friday through Monday) and tells her they need to have their discussion, and she agrees to having it the following night.

* * *

Cleaning had always been, to me, a way of avoiding my problems; a thing to do when I really didn't want to think about something.

For some reason, the day after Eric had taken me home from Fangtasia, it wasn't working for me. Even when I was on my hands and knees scrubbing at the kitchen floor, eyes tearing from the strength of the bleach mixture, all I could think about was my feelings for Eric. They were all in a jumble and were taking a lot longer to string out than I would have thought. Once Eric let on that he remembered everything, he took on a more affectionate attitude towards me. Though it was a slight change, (and could just as well have been considered politeness) it was a big step for Eric and I could appreciate that.

Or, he was just schmoozing me because he remembered how great the sex was and wanted a recap.

I sat back on my haunches and glanced at my now-sparkling kitchen floor. A day of cleaning and the only conclusion I came to was that Eric could possibly have feelings for me and I probably have feelings for him. As far as conclusions go, it wasn't much. With a glance out the window I realized how late it had gotten, and a peek at the clock told me the sun would be setting in about an hour. Where had all my time gone?

I put away all the cleaning supplies and headed into my room to take a shower. Amelia and Octavia were gone for the weekend- apparently there was a witch convention in Baton Rouge.

Even as the hot water pounded against my sore back, I was anxious about my discussion of Eric. How were we even going to talk? Nothing was clarified last night so I wasn't sure if he was coming over, if I was supposed to swing by Fangtasia, or if he was just going to call me.

Actually, I was positive it wouldn't be done over the phone. If that was the case, we probably would have had this conversation during one of the many phone calls he had bombarded me with over the past few weeks. Actually, now that I had thought about it, I was pretty sure he would call me just to give me a game plan of how this would be done. Maybe we would meet in neutral territory. Maybe he doesn't feel up to it anymore and will cancel.

Once the sun had set and I had done my hair and make-up, I began to feel an eagerness I didn't recognize as my own. That sent me into further panic as I searched through my closet in a frenzy. The panic was replaced by disgust as I realized that I was putting too much into this. Eric, being the horny bastard that he is, will be too busy trying to get me out of my clothes to notice them. I was delighted at the thought and tugged on a pair of tight-fitting jeans and an empire-waisted black top I had gotten on sale at Tara's Togs.

And then the doorbell rang. I froze. Panic resettled and only one thought was clear in my head: _What the hell_?

When I yanked it open, Eric gave me a wry grin and a once-over. He had on a simple navy v-neck and dark jeans. His hands were folded in front of him, his blond hair was slightly windblown, and he looked gorgeous. Of course. It just wasn't fair that he could look so good with practically no effort at all! "Hello, dear one. You look nice."

"Ah, thanks, so do you. You can come in. Would you like a True Blood?" He nodded, shut the door behind himself, and followed me into the kitchen. I pulled one from the fridge and as it warmed up in the microwave I poured myself a glass of orange juice. Seeing Eric had made my mouth suddenly feel very dry. Eric took a seat at the kitchen table and I set his True Blood in front of him before I slid into the chair across from him. Before he could say anything I took a large gulp of my drink, keeping my eyes on the rim of the glass so I could avoid looking at him.

"Nervous, lover?" He chuckled and cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow. "I felt your anticipation even as I slept, it was that strong." His hand snaked over the table and landed on top of mine, sending a shock of warmth and relaxation through me.

I decided to ignore that statement all together, mostly because my curiosity was getting the best of me. "How did you get here so fast?"

Eric leaned back (but still held onto my hand) and smiled with an air of arrogance. "You forget, Sookie, I am very old and can rise a little before the sun rises and sets. I am able to move around effectively, so long as I stay shielded from the sun."

"Oh. Right." I mean really, what do you say? But my mind clawed at other things to mention so that I could avoid the real reason he was here. Eric was quicker though, and he leaned closer to me as his eyes took on a smoldering heat.

Almost breathlessly, he began. "Sookie, I have walked this earth for longer than a thousand years, and not once have I felt more drawn towards any human than I have towards you. There have been many women in my lifetime," I winced at this and he gave me a stern look, "But none have so enchanted me."

"It's the fae blood, I'm sure."

He slammed his free hand down on the table and I jumped, instinctively trying to pull my hand away but he grasped it more firmly to keep a hold on me. "Damn it, Sookie, _no_. You are a remarkable woman. Despite the danger I could have caused you when I lost my memory, you took me in and washed my feet and kept me safe. Time and time again you have risked your life to save not just me, but others. This is not the doing of fae blood; many fairies are selfish creatures, but you are the most selfless woman I have ever met."

I could feel the blush creeping over my cheeks. "Eric, I-"

Eric shook his head and held up his free hand, silencing me. "I can feel your confusion. I treated you badly before I remembered. It must have hurt, to go from being doted upon to being treated... coldly. I apologize for hurting you. But had I known.."

"You would have what? You would have proclaimed your love for me? You wouldn't have treated me like an asset? You would have stood by me? Hmm?" I couldn't help but throw the accusations at him. Going on the defense just seemed like the right choice.

His brow wrinkled and he frowned. "I am not a perfect man, dear one, but I do care for you, very much. I would have stood by you. When have I not?" He didn't wait for an answer, and he wouldn't have gotten one. "I have tried to protect you when I could. Not once have I let you down, Sookie. Keep that in mind. I cannot guarantee that I would have proclaimed my love for you before, as it has taken me quite some time to determine my own feelings." At that Eric slid from the chair and kneeled in front of me, taking my face in his hands. My heart was pounding.

"Sookie. Before my memory was lost, I held you in high regard. I had affection for you; not strong, but it was there. When it was lost and I stayed with you, I adored you. I am neither of those people."

My stomach flipped and I could almost feel my heart sinking.

"I feel I am a new person entirely. I am the hardened vampire I was before and the caring vampire I became during my bout of amnesia. In a way I suppose I have found myself, or what I am supposed to be. I like to think it is a nice combination." He grinned. That was definitely Eric; of course he would find a way to be a little conceited. But then he was serious again. "I believe, Sookie, that you are the reason for this. In falling in love with you, I found myself. What do you humans call it? A sign, yes?"

"Falling in love... with.. me? You love me?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Recap:** Sookie and Eric finally have their talk, and Eric confesses his true feelings for her.

* * *

Eric seemed almost as surprised as I was at what he had said. His mouth opened to say something else and then closed, and his eyebrows furrowed together. Perhaps he wasn't so used to blurting things out like that; in fact, I knew he wasn't- he was always collected and seemed to think about everything before he said anything. The sudden confession had startled us both and the question I asked hung in the air as Eric's mind seemed to reel with answers. Finally, a very muted _yes_ spilled out from his lips before he pressed them together in a thin line and sat back down on the chair he had occupied.

"Yes. So you do. Well. Okay." I wanted to smack myself across the face with a frying pan. Was that really the best I could do? Suddenly Eric looked very tired and defeated. If I didn't put my feelings in words within the next minute I knew he would mumble some excuse before vanishing into thin air, or doing something else that would leave me wondering how he was so good at making dramatic exits.

"I've been hurt a lot, you know," I heard myself say. For some reason I was never able to just say what I meant and I could feel my mind preparing to make some speech. "And when I think about it... you're right, I guess. You have always stood by me. And the one time you did hurt me," Eric looked visibly pained to hear this, "It wasn't intentional and I can hardly blame you for it. I do have very... strong feelings for you." I took a deep breath and let it out, feeling a little more relieved. It wasn't a huge confession like Eric's, but it was definitely a step in the right direction for me. After saying it all my mind began to clear and my feelings began to sort themselves out.

Eric seemed to feel the decisiveness through the bond and his lips curved upwards in a mischievous smile. "Well, lover. I suppose your response was not quite as direct as I would have liked but..." He leaned forward and covered my hands with his much larger, cooler ones. "It will suffice."

A wave of desire pulsed through the bond and I didn't reject it; I just sent it back twice as strong. Eric licked his lips and rose to his feet, pulling me up with him and I was thankful that Amelia and Octavia were gone for the weekend. "Lover... I have been longing for our reunion," he whispered huskily and buried his face into my neck.

I shivered as I felt him inhale my skin from my collarbone up to my jaw. He began placing kisses at my jawline and then traced his way back down my throat with his tongue. I leaned my head back in pure pleasure and let out a little whimper as I raked a hand through his hair. "Eric...," he moved his lips from my throat to my lips and I didn't hesitate to kiss him. Kissing Eric was impossible to resist; the man (vampire? Creature? Dude?) had definitely developed skills during his thousand or so years of existence.

"I've missed you too... and this," I whispered into his mouth and let one hand roam down his chest and torso and stopped at his gracious plenty. Feeling pretty brave, I rubbed my hand against him and was pleased to realize he was already hard. Eric grunted and lifted me onto the kitchen table, swiftly using one hand to swipe his True Blood and my orange juice glass off the table, and the other to cup the side of my face.

Obligingly, I laid back on the table and arched against him but let out a frustrated sound at the thought of spilled synthetic blood and orange juice on my kitchen floor. Much worse has been splattered on that linoleum, but I had spent a long time cleaning my house today and in no time there was already a mess. Sensing my frustration Eric grunted and mumbled, "I will take care of it. Soon. Do not worry," and then kissed his way down to my chest and let one hand rub my breast. In a matter of seconds my shirt was ripped to pieces on the floor and my bra had been flung across the room. He circled his tongue around my left nipple and sucked at it, using his other hand to fondle my other breast playfully. Since he was preoccupied, yy hands restlessly worked at pulling off Eric's shirt and then traced the planes of his chest before working down to his pants. With ease I unbuckled and unzipped them and he had them down at his ankles, and then pushed mine off.

Eric stopped suckling at my left nipple and his head traveled down further. He took a lick at my nub and I moaned as he began to explore my aching mound with his tongue. Pleasure began to wash over me as he pushed two fingers into my depths, thrusting in and out at a fast pace. His free hand rested on my stomach and he brought his tongue to my spot and focused there. My hips bucked and I rolled my head back as I let out a groan of ecstasy. "Mmm, Eric!" He looked up and then stopped his movements. I felt my muscles tighten against his fingers and snapped my head back to gaze at him frantically.

"You must look at me, lover," he warned. I just nodded and watched as his fingers and tongue picked up their movements. His piercing gaze locked with mine as I chewed on my lower lip, trying to stifle my cries. I bent forwards to grip his head, not once breaking our stare. As my climax began to build I let out another moan. "Eric.. Oh, Eric, please..."

He didn't stop pumping his fingers inside me but he did pull his head up to look me right in the eye. "Tell me what you want me to do." With that, he pushed his fingers in deeper and pulled them out more quickly. I shivered as the pressure built up.

"I want you... unh," I couldn't help but close my eyes, but to help demonstrate I leaned forwards and curled my hand around his shaft and gave it a few strokes. Eric's eyes gleamed and suddenly I was lying back on the table again, still holding onto him, and he hovered only inches above me. I positioned him at my entrance and he thrust inside me. He grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to the edge of the kitchen table, angling me up as he did so, which helped him get deeper into me. I cried out his name and he grunted. My breath quickened as he pumped into me, faster and faster until my climax built up again. With a moan I begged him for a release and scraped my fingernails against his back. He brought his mouth down to my neck and I felt his fangs scrape against my neck.

"Yes," I panted, "Do it. Mmm, Eric, take me!" I nearly screamed out when he bit down, and finally I had my release. Nearly right as I had mine I felt him come inside me and I shuddered.

Eric raised his head to kiss me again and I could taste myself and my blood on him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed with pleasure as he stroked his thumb along the side of my face.

I closed my eyes, completely intoxicated by him. He was still inside me and I was almost surprised that it felt so good to have him so... _close_ to me.

Something shook and I pushed Eric's face away gently, looking at him curiously. He just shrugged and pulled out of me but then raised his eyebrows when something shook both of us again.

The oak kitchen table that had belonged to my grandmother that we had just had sex on shuddered for a third time before crashing to the floor. Even though he had his feet planted on the floor, the sudden down cast made Eric topple down with me. We both fell with it, but with his vampiric speed he had managed to turn us in the nick of time so that I had fallen on top of him. We stared at each other blankly before chuckling.

"Are you all right?" he asked, scanning me quickly for any bruises. I just nodded meekly and sat up, eying the mess we had made of my kitchen.

"Oh, no," I muttered sadly. There was a puddle of brown, murky liquid on the floor by the refrigerator- a combination of orange juice and synthetic blood. I knew exactly what it was, but the image had me reeling back to when I had found my grandmother, dead, in this very kitchen. Tears welled in my eyes as I glanced at Eric, lying in the midst of broken wood.

Eric jumped up in alarm and held me tightly against his chest. I don't think he knew exactly what was wrong, but he must have gotten the hint because he scooped me up in his arms and began carrying me to my bedroom. I was about to give him a spiel about being capable of walking, but I was too tired to argue and a little shaky from the images I had remembered. He tucked me into the bed and planted a kiss on my forehead. "I will take care of it," he murmured, "And then I will be back."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Short chapter, but needed to get it up.

**Recap:** Sookie admits to some of her feelings for Eric and they have sexy time. :) But when her kitchen table collapses and breaks and she realizes the mess on her kitchen floor, she comes crashing back to reality.

* * *

Things had definitely not gone as I had planned.

There were so many things I wanted to talk to Eric about before I let lust take over. I had gone over the order of my questions when I first placed that True Blood in front of him: How are things going with Felipe? Are all the vampire politics set back into a regular pattern? What the hell is going on with this blood bond? If we do resolve things- what the hell are _we_?

Not one of those questions had escaped my lips. Obviously, there were so many things Eric and I had to work out, and soon. And I hadn't even mentioned to him what I had heard at the bar! With a groan I buried my face into my hands and rolled over on my side. Right now, I was definitely not even up for talking through everything. It's just going to have to wait.

Seeing the murky liquid on the floor and the collapsed table had worked me up into something terrible; an emotional breakdown was also not something I was expecting tonight. If I listened really hard, I could hear Eric fumbling around in the kitchen- he had been in there for the better part of an hour and the whole time I had been debating whether or not I should go in there and help. But each time I pulled myself up to go clean up, I felt a huge wave of calm come over me and I relaxed back into the pillows.

The noise in the kitchen stopped and almost immediately Eric was curled up next to me, with an arm draped around my waist and his lips next to my ear. "All clear, lover. You should relax."

What he didn't understand was that I had been _trying_ to relax but now I had all these questions floating through my head and I didn't know what to bring up first. It was still early; not even seven yet. With a deep breath I rolled over in his arms and looked into his eyes. The room was dark so he leaned back and flipped on one of my bedside lamps and then sat up, pulling me with him so that I was resting my head on his chest.

Not exactly how I wanted to have this conversation but okay, it'll work. "Eric...," I started, but he cut me off and wound one of his hands in my hair and the other began stroking my back.

"What's wrong? I fixed up the kitchen, I do not understand why you're still upset."

Aha! I sat up quickly and faced him. "Well, for starters, how do you keep doing that?"

He looked at me with amusement in his eyes and a wry smile playing at his lips. "Doing what?" He asked and batted his eyelash, feigning (word of the day!) innocence.

"You're making me feel stuff! Earlier I felt you wanting me and then I wanted you and then when you were in the kitchen I kept feeling calm even though I wasn't. How are you doing it?"

"It is a part of our blood bond," he explained simply. "It is like transmitting signals. I can feel when you are near, and I get a brief sensation of how you are feeling. Just as easily I do what I can to send feelings back. You may try it now, if you would like."

Without hesitation I tried to push anger through the bond and Eric chuckled as he caught it. I smiled, but I was scared. I had thought blood bonds were supposed to die down after a while...

As soon as he caught my anxiety he took my hands and held them in his own. "Perhaps I should have explained this to you. But I do not want you to worry," he added quickly, "Our bond is not as strong as it could be, so this is the full extent of what we can do through the bond."

Almost as quickly as disappointment flashed through the bond, it was gone. Without saying a word I laid back on his chest and let out a deep sigh. So the bond isn't all that bad; this whole exchanging feelings thing could be useful. Annoying, too, but with the way I manage to get in trouble all the time, useful. All I could focus on though was that quick sense of disappointment.

Was it because we were bonded, or because our bond wasn't as strong as it could be? The other questions in my mind went out the window and I was sure I wouldn't get to them tonight. Which is fine; I guess we could leave them until tomorrow night. "What happens when people are um... bonded to the fullest extent?"

"I believe it depends. I have heard of many different positives- shared gifts, some sort of tracking ability, and a... increased devotion," he included uncertainly. "But with the positives comes downfalls. Shared pain. Anxiety when distanced. There has even been mention of shared death," he winced.

By the way he explained the pros and cons, I could tell he had spent a lot of time thinking about our bond and bonds in general. The pros, of course, sounded fine, even though the whole tracking thing was sort of creepy and the "increased devotion" thing was pretty vague. Shared gifts... so if our bond was stronger, he could read minds? And I could... what? Be extremely arrogant? Fight well? Manipulate people?

And the cons were worrisome too. Shared pain... just physical, or emotional too? I had already felt the anxiety when we were apart, maybe for different reasons, but that wasn't so bad. But shared death?

"You sound like you've put a lot of thought into this," I mentioned quietly.

He circled his arms around me and held me pressed against his chest. "I have."

"So... you want our bond to be stronger?"

Suddenly I was flipped on my back and he was on top of me, fangs slightly extended and eyes gleaming. "Are you offering?"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Finals week! This is probably my last update until Thursday, at the least. But I can absolutely guarantee I will post something by Saturday night. Hey- does anyone know what month the 8th book ended?

Recap: Eric and Sookie discuss their blood bond a little.

* * *

When you find yourself pinned down by a horny, eager, Viking vampire, it's always best to think _very carefully_ about what you're going to say. Even if the look in his eye is making you anxious and you can feel passion and lust coming at you through a blood bond and his plenitude (word of the day from a few weeks ago) of manliness is pressed up against your thigh; you must choose your words wisely. And that's what I was going to do- think very hard about what I was going to say.

Because am I offering? I don't really know. I guess I do really... love Eric. Of course, I sure as hell am not about to tell him that. And maybe if I do this he'll just get it. And understand. Or maybe not.

Eric rubbed himself against me and I shot him a dirty look. "Eric, you're distracting me."

"I apologize, lover." Some apology! Even as he said it, he continued to wiggle and ran one of his hands up and down my thigh. Something about this possibility of reaffirming the blood bond must have really excited him. I slapped his hand away.

"I need to think. Instead of trying to have your way with me, you should help me understand the umm... circumstances."

With a sigh, Eric rolled off of me and flopped onto his side. "The circumstances," he repeated. Wow. I'm going to get nowhere with this.

"Yes, Eric," I whined, "You know. Explain in depth what it will mean for us?"

"As I cannot be sure what gifts will be exchanged, I cannot explain that. However, a few factors remain the same in every blood bond; the tracking ability, increased devotion, shared pain, and anxiety while separated by a large distance."

"Is the tracking ability sort of like... a GPS system?" I had never had one, but had seen Sam use it on his phone once. He just entered a place and it showed him how to get there.

Eric thought about this for a minute, and I wondered if he even knew what a GPS system was. "No," he said finally, "Not exactly. You will not be given directions, just an image or a thought. If you are at the shifter's bar, for example, and start to wonder where I am, you would get an instinct. If I was at Fangtasia, it would just occur to you that I am there. It is so subtle a change you would just think you were guessing right all the time."

That's actually a neat little trick! It was vice versa though, which meant Eric could find me at any time he wants. Then again, he always seems to anyways, so I suppose it wouldn't be a big difference. "Increased devotion?" I questioned.

"It will feel as though I am a part of you, because we are bonded. You would always have a sense of me. I am told this is a feeling of comfort and often makes humans feel warmly towards their bonded, whether they are in love or not."

"Ah," I replied. Also not so bad, probably would be the least of my worries.

Eric smirked a little. "Ah? Is that all you have to say, ah?"

All I did was nod, and he snickered.

"Do you love me, Sookie?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and my mind began to scatter. Before I could get into a jumbled mess over expressing my feelings, I asked, "And the shared pain? What about that?"

"That's okay, lover, I sense that you do and will not make you say it. Just know that you will say it, eventually," he warned. Then the intense look was wiped off his face and he gave me a small smile. "This part, I do not think you will like. You have felt exchanged feelings through the bond, yes?" I nodded. "It is like that. If I am very upset, you will feel it, and vice versa. Unfortunately, it is also shared physical pain."

He allowed me a moment to let this sink in before continuing again. "So if you were to trip while walking to your car and scraped your knee, I would feel the burn also. With the amount of trouble you get in, this could be very useful, Sookie, do not let that slip your mind. If someone was hurting you I could come to your aid at once."

This was maybe the only thing that made me uncomfortable; him being able to feel my pain. When I'm at work, he'll be able to feel my anger at a customer or my hurt at their thoughts. If I was to accidentally pick up my coffee mug when it was too hot, he'd feel the burn too. If I bit my lip too hard, it would sting him too. It was such a close connection that I wasn't sure I felt comfortable with it. Feeling everything your significant other feels. Thinking of which...

"Eric, what are we?"

He quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. "My, Sookie, I thought you knew. I am a vampire. You are a mystery, but so far it is learned that you are part human and part-"

"Agh!" I cut him off. "Yes, yes, I know. But what are we?" I pointed my finger to him, and then to me in a fast motion. "Are you my... boyfriend?"

The term amused him and his crystal blue eyes sparkled. "First and foremost I am your bonded. If you would like a silly human term to deny our relationship, then I suppose 'boyfriend' is acceptable. Are you not going to ask me about the anxiety, Sookie? It is a factor I mentioned that you have not yet questioned."

"Oh. 'Kay. Um... no, I wasn't going to ask you about it... I think I already felt it, anyways," I shrugged with indifference, then thought back to the outcomes of our blood bond. "Oh, wait. What was that whole shared death thing?"

At that, his eyes darkened. :The shared death is not confirmed. However... if someone were to stake you through the heart, Sookie, I would die with you, without warning. And if someone were to stake me, you would feel it and die. I suppose it is part of the shared pain. This is not a guarantee, as either of us, instead of dying, could just feel the bond ripped away. That, of course, can be done without death. It is a very painful experience, possibly worse than death. I am not sure, as there are so few who are bonded as we are, Sookie. In circumstances where one partner has died, though, so did the other. Blood bonding is quite a tie, Sookie. Earlier, I was.. what is the term... kidding, about renewing our bond here and now. I want you to think about it, as it is a decision that impacts your life greatly." He had a far-off look in his eyes as he said this, and I felt my heart pound.

Anything else in my head could wait until tomorrow The weird man at Fangtasia, Felipe's progress, my inability to speak my emotions out loud. "I want to."

"What?"

"I want to renew the bond."

"Sookie," he shook his head, "You have not thought about this long enough. Do you understand all the repercussions? As a woman who is so keen on having her independence, I was thinking you would take much longer to decide. I would feel everything you are feeling; I would always know where you are; I would always know what you are wanting. You would inadvertently be depending on me, Sookie. Would that not make you feel like a...," his eyebrows furrowed as he searched for the term, "...a kept woman?"

Now it was my turn to snicker. "Sure, it's sort of creepy, you knowing where I am all the time. But if you do something that was going to make me feel like a kept woman, you would feel the anger, right? And once you had felt the wrath of that anger, you wouldn't ever do it again." Hey, it was logic in my mind. And if I couldn't express my feelings directly, then at least I could do this.

"This is not a joke. This is a very serious matter, Sookie. You are binding your life to mine."

"And that's what I want to do."

* * *

After two more rounds of delicious Viking sex, Eric left, explaining that he needed to arrange things for renewing our bond and would see me tomorrow night. Before he left I pouted and asked why we couldn't just do it the way we had before. Quick and to the point. That set Eric off on a tangent about the significance of a deep blood bond ceremony and how they must be regarded as a religious affair and were of the utmost important in the vampire world, yada yada yada.

So I took my alone time to shower, put my sweaty sheets in the wash, and reflect on what I had agreed to. At any other point in my life, I would have flat out refused to reaffirm the bond. But that was feckless Sookie. The Sookie who was too scared to tell a certain hunky, tall, blond vampire about all that had been shared between them because she thought he would reject her.

I sure as hell am not about to waste any more time with him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I came home early from school today so I could study for tomorrow's finals, so after studying for a few hours I'm taking a short break to post this. I was trying to balance a chemical equation and then put it into molar mass (read: I was pretending to do something I don't understand) and this came out instead. Enjoy!

**Recap:** Sookie tells Eric she wants to renew their blood bond, and he leaves for the remainder of the night/day to get everything ready.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Go Ask Alice by Anonymous or Dracula by Bram Stoker. But they are amazing works of literature and I recommend them to any and all readers. :) Oh and a reminder- Charlaine Harris owns all the characters mentioned... so far ;)

* * *

When I woke up, it was just a little after nine A.M. There was a whole day ahead of me to relax and get ready for the "ceremony." Normally I would have been in a frenzy, rushing about and cleaning to distract myself, but today there was nothing to do but enjoy myself- which is exactly what I had planned to do. So I got myself ready for the day and snatched up my car keys, making a mental check list of what I _wanted_ to do today; not what I _needed_ to do. Definitely need to stop by the library to check out some more books, and I should probably stop at Merlotte's to grab my paycheck. The sooner it's in the bank (ah, stop number three on my list), the better.

It was just a little after ten-thirty when I got to the library, and my visit there was quick. After returning the books I had checked out just a little over a week ago, I scanned some of the newest arrivals to see what was in. The first book I decided to check out caught my eye immediately; the cover was one of the scariest images I had ever seen. The background was black and the only thing you can really see is the side of someone's face, so hidden it's almost impossible to see. The book's title, Go Ask Alice, was scrawled in a red, eerie font. What attracted me most to it, though, was the haunted eye that seemed to stare straight at me from the book. Without even bothering to read the back cover, I snatched it up. At least if it was bad, I could say I was brave enough to pick it up.

Once I had selected two romances, I headed over to the classics section. While I could always step into the waiting embrace of Austen's Mr. Darcy or stroll around in the Secret Garden with Burnett's Ayah, I opted to go for something a little more unusual and picked up Bram Stoker's Dracula.

If I didn't enjoy it, I'm sure Eric would, at least. He was arrogant enough to enjoy any works of literacy about vampires. The librarian raised her eyebrow at me as I snorted, so I returned it with a smile and made my way towards her to check out my books.

The bar was deserted when I arrived; no cars were in the lot, which was weird because Merlotte's was always pretty busy on a Friday afternoon. I pulled in, hoping that at least Sam would be in, but the minute I got up towards the door I was snatched, screaming stifled by a calloused hand over my mouth. Sam didn't put me down until we were inside his trailer and his doors were locked, and I smacked him on the arm.

"Sam! What the HELL! You really scared me, I thought you were someone tryin' to kill me or something!" Oh, I was mad now, but it was Sam who was shooting me a death glare.

"Will you stop your yellin'?" he hissed, shooting a hesitant glance at the window. "Sookie, you shouldn't be here. Why are you here?

Worry began to creep inside me as I responded, "I was just coming to get my paycheck... What's going on?"

Sam hesitated; whether it was because he didn't _want_ to tell me or he didn't know _what_ to tell me, I wasn't sure. "Sookie... there must have been an attack here late last night..."

"Who? Who got hurt?"

"I don't _know_," he complained, running his hands over his face, "All I could smell was the blood. I don't know who it was- I couldn't catch any recognizable scent- but the one thing I can tell you is that it was _not_ human blood."

"Shifter?" It was my turn to hesitate as I began twisting my fingers together, suddenly nervous.

Sam shook his head and gave me a sad look. "Vamp."

He caught me as my knees went out and my body went limp, and guided me to a nearby chair, kneeling in front of me. "The one who was attacked in the parking lot isn't anyone you knew, Sookie," he tapped his nose, "I would know."

Something about the way he said that made me very suspicious. There was something he was keeping from me; I could tell. "The one who was attacked in the parking lot... why did you say it like that?"

Sam chewed on his lower lip and placed one hand on my knee. I didn't even bother to push it away. "There was another attack."

Eric! Oh my god, no, no, _no! _As fast as I could, I tried my hardest to get a feel of the blood bond and see if it was missing, and then let out a sigh. _Good_, he's safe. Still alive. Still bonded.

"Okay, so who was it? How do you know who it was?"

"I got a call from some day time guy at Fangtasia. They found Felicia, dead."

* * *

**A/N**: Short but had to get it done. And I wanted to put this at the bottom because I've got quite a few people to thank for their motivation and kind words. And for their wishing me well on my finals, lol! Of course I'm so grateful for all of my readers, and I got so many well wishes from people after posting Chapter 6. But I wanted to give a shout out to a few people who went completely out of their way to make me feel better and offer me support. Let me just say, a few of you mentioned your ages and I was very surprised- young souls, young souls! :) So basically, special thanks to: **ebonyeyez1**, **ishtart, RkinNY, EricDreamer, Ysar, Gjers-1, ehee, and SEOrwin.** (I pinky swear I studied!!) You all went out of your way to send me a nice message, and it was so very much appreciated. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Recap**: Excited to renew her blood bond with Eric, Sookie plans a day to relax. But when she goes to Merlotte's to pick up her paycheck, she learns that two vampires were killed last night... one in the parking lot at Merlotte's that she didn't know, and Felicia, from Fangtasia.

* * *

Dead. Felicia is (really) dead. Great- yet another bartender from Fangtasia that died, and this one I actually liked! How could someone have gotten to Felicia near the bar? Vampires had amazing senses; whoever did this must have had practice killing them, and I shivered at the thought. If they could kill Felicia, what would stop them from going after Eric, or Pam?

And why would a vampire be at Merlotte's? The only local vampire is Bill, but Sam said the (finally) dead vampire wasn't anyone I knew. Then again, Sam probably thinks he's met all the vampires I know; and then I began to wonder if it could have been Victor or even Jonathan. Having Victor dead wouldn't bother me much (I'm sure my grandmother is rolling in her grave at hearing me think that) and I don't know that Jonathan's death would bother me at all.

But that's probably just wishful thinking- Victor and Jonathan were probably much too busy with Felipe's new reign to come all the way to Bon Temps. So that raised brought me straight back to wondering why a vampire would come to Merlotte's. Just passing through? New neighbor? Or had this particular vampire known about my handicap? Maybe he was here to ask for my "services" … or maybe he was a friend of Eric's.

Then I began to wonder if this had anything to do with the man I had heard at Fangtasia two nights ago. If only I had mentioned that to Eric, this might have never happened! I mentally smacked myself and let out a deep sigh. A mistake like this happening again could mean the death of Eric (or Pam) and I was not going to let that happen.

Something else struck me, then. "Sam, why would the daytime guy call you?"

With a shrug, he replied, "Not really sure. Probably because Eric and I have an... understanding."

I raised my eyebrow at that. "An _understanding?_ Elaborate," I commanded, happy with the use of today's word of the day.

"Sookie, you're my friend and my employee. You end up getting yourself sucked into this vampire business, and I do too, 'cause I want you to be safe. So does Eric. Because of that, we have an uh.. alliance, of sorts. Something happens here, I let him know 'cause you work here and live around here. Something happens there, he lets me know 'cause you go around there sometimes." He gave me a puppy-eye look and I let out a sigh.

I don't like that him and Eric are trying to take control of my life. My grandmother had raised me to be an independent woman, and damn it, I am. But it was sweet that two guys who practically hated each other were trying to be on good terms to keep me safe.

Of course, I was going to have a talk with Eric about it later, because with him I wasn't sure if he was doing it to keep me safe or to have more control over me. With him, it's always hard to tell.

"Okay, Sam, thanks. I appreciate it." I peeked out the window and saw the still empty parking lot. "You keeping the bar closed today?"

Sam nodded. "I put up a sign near the turn in that says it's closed for personal reasons. Got a call from Andy Bellefleur so I just told him my uncle had died and I needed a little time."

That Sam. Just about as pragmatic as Eric. "Anyways," he continued, "I gotta do a little sniffing around, how about I write up your check and you go try to relax."

"Wait, Sam."

He had turned away from me but when I spoke he looked back with his eyebrows raised.

"When I went to Fangtasia the other night, I heard some guy thinking about why 'they sent him there' and when he saw Eric he thought, 'wait that's him.' Do you think it has anything to do the deaths?"

Sam gave me an open-mouthed stare. "Sookie, did you tell Eric about that?"

I shook my head.

"Sookie! You should tell him. I don't know if it will help, but you gotta try." He went to his desk and scribbled out my paycheck, then handed it to me, with a cautious look. "Sookie, I need you to be real careful today. If that guy was in association with the Fellowship... they might come after you. You keep an eye out, you hear?"

"Alright, Sam. Um, I guess I'll see you Monday. Be safe, too, Sam," I leaned in and gave him a tight hug.

"See ya, chere," he called out as I left.

Everything raced through my head as I drove to the bank at a slow pace. My eyes were darting from the road to my rear view mirror to the road again and then to my side mirrors, a constant pattern. Worry and dread filled me; for Sam, for Eric, for Pam, for my little town... and for me. Since I got involved with vampires, danger was at every corner; after spending a few weeks danger (and Eric) free, everything seemed so much more... _more._ Describing it was difficult, but the load of it all felt heavy and I had a feeling the blood bond renewal was going to have to wait.

Safety first.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent by reading one of the romances I got and Go Ask Alice. I'm a fast reader so I got through them both pretty fast; it helped that they were both short. Go Ask Alice wasn't the sort of thing I usually read, but the girl's turmoil was sad and I understood how she kept getting herself sucked into trouble. I had never tried LSD or anything, but I felt like I could relate to her in a way. Sort of.

Amelia called to check in and told me the convention was going to run a little longer. She gushed over how much fun she was having and how Tray had told her he couldn't wait to see her again, and I mentioned all the things that had been going on around here. She was glad Eric and I had fixed things up, but advised we take care of the trouble first, and said she'd try to strengthen the wards around the house from where she was.

Finally, an hour and a half before sun set, I got ready to see Eric. My hair was down and I dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a thin, long-sleeved shirt that clung to my curves. Its blue color was flattering to my tan skin and I noticed, as I primped in the mirror, that it was the exact same color as Eric's eyes. At the thought of Eric I felt a little more relaxed and took a peek out the window. The sun was down, and then Eric was standing in my doorway.

"Don't you knock?" I asked, slightly annoyed that he had come right in.

"I did knock. When you didn't come right away, I decided to invite myself in. I didn't think you would mind."

Despite the teasing smile he wore, I could see the tension in his eyes and feel small wafts of anxiety coming through the bond. That's it, we had to address this now. "I don't, but look, I think we need to wait to do the whole blood bond thing again."

Eric shook his head. "No; we must do it tonight, and as soon as possible. It is better we are more closely blood, it will be safer for you. I should have known you would have found out what happened at Fangtasia and the shi- Sam's place."

"I think I might know more than you do."

He raised an eyebrow. "I am intrigued, lover, but it will have to wait." He took a step towards me and ran a hand gently down my arm. I shivered at his light touch and stood on tip toe to kiss him. He leaned down, meeting me halfway, and crashed his lips into mine. Surprisingly, his breath was hot and rushed into my mouth as I parted my lips and wrapped my arms around him. The constant flow of panic that had swam through my head all day faded away as I felt Eric unbuttoning my jeans. Almost frantically I yanked off my shirt and his, eager to keep my lips on his. Without stopped, he pushed me onto my bed and yanked off my jeans in one swift motion, then crawled up over me. I worked at pushing his pants off his hips and he pulled away to ease them off, smirking down at me.

I whined a little at the lack of contact. His eyebrows lifted at the sound and he grinned lasciviously. "Something wrong, lover?"

Without hesitation I reached up and trailed one finger down his hard chest to his growing gracious plenty and massaged it through his silky boxers. Eric's eyes glazed over and he leaned down to kiss me again and retaliated by ripping off my panties and dipping a finger into me. "Oh, my," he cooed, "Wet for me already?" I moaned and arched into him, then stuck my hand in his boxers to get closer contact with his shaft, and ran my hand up and down. His fingers thrusted into me and I let out a sigh as his thumb massaged my nub.

"Eric...," I moaned, tilting my head back and closing my eyes.

"Yes?" He ran a tongue over his lips; I knew he was as close as I was. "Something you want?"

At the moment, I was in no mood to go play this game, so I said outright, "I want _you_. Now," I growled, and pushed down his boxers. His eyes glinted with mischief and he positioned himself at my entrance. He pulled his fingers out and quickly rammed himself into me. I let out a moan and gripped my bedsheets, throwing my head back in ecstasy as he worked in and out. "No," he whispered, "Look at me." I obliged and gazed directly into his eyes as I bucked against him and he pounded into me. He brought his thumb down to touch me as he pumped, and I felt myself getting closer and closer to the edge. "Ooh... Eric, _mmmm_," I moaned.

Eric cradled his head into the nook between my head and shoulder, and I felt him lick at my throat. As I tightened around him he pulled his head back and brought up the hand he was using on me to his mouth, and bit into it. He looked at me with lust in his eyes and I nodded in between my pants. He pressed his wrist against my mouth and I sucked at the blood that was now flowing freely from it. I tore my lips away for a brief moment to mutter, "Now," and he bit into my thoat. As we shared eachother's blood we both came and I unlatched my mouth from his wrist to let out one final, loud moan. Eric's fangs retracted from my neck and I felt him lick over the wound to heal it. Already his bite marks on his wrist were fading away.

And as he rolled over to lay on my side, I heard something I _knew_ was not meant for my ears.

* * *

**A/N:** I read two romance novels at my mom's house so this was a little easier to write, once I sort of knew what to include. Still not the easiest part to write, though, lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Recap:** Sam reveals to Sookie that he has an "understanding" with Eric concerning her safety. Sookie and Eric reaffirm their blood bond in a much less than elaborate way, and Sookie hears something she doesn't think she should...

* * *

_What the fuck why can't I get around this house god damn maybe that roommate of hers is a fucking freak too what the hell..._

Giving Eric a push, I shot up sharply and strained to hear more of the intruder's thoughts, relieved that Amelia's wards still held up. My eyes darted around the room and I whispered to Eric that someone was trying to get in. Wordlessly, he nodded and glided out the window, possibly to get this attacker from behind.

And as he left, I heard him thinking about whether or not he should kill the man. I let out an exasperated breath and tried to steady myself; _that_ conversation was just going to have to wait. After bonding for the first time I had caught a little of what he was thinking, so I wasn't too worried about it, but we had just made the blood bond stronger so it might last a little longer.

Thankfully, I discovered Eric had decided not to kill the man when I went downstairs. Eric, always crafty, had him tied up to one of my kitchen chairs with some rope he must have found on the porch. The man was squirming, red-faced, and projecting horrible, cruel thoughts at me; purposefully or accidentally, I wasn't sure.

"I suggest you question him before I break his neck," Eric said nonchalantly. Despite his calm demeanor, I could tell he was angry- his face was hard, his lips set in a firm line. He was leaned up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, but I could tell his fists were clenched.

Cautiously, I reached over to the wiggling man and went to rest my hand on his shoulder. He howled, turned his head and snapped his jaws, inches away from biting me. "Don't you touch me, you fangbanging whore!'

The minute he began to speak Eric appeared next to him and gave him a good backhand. With any man other than Eric, the action would have seemed ridiculous, but I knew the cool marble and strong force of the slap was worse than a fist to the face. Blood trickled from the man's lip and Eric leaned down to look him in the eye. "You do _not_ talk to her like that. If not for her, you would be dead." Eric paused for dramatic effect. "You will cooperate," he ordered, "And you will be respectful to Sookie, or I _will_ torture you."

A series of responses ran through the man's head, his favorite being spitting on Eric. Thank god for him, he decided against it and just nodded.

Again, I reached out to place my hand on his shoulder, and was met with no threats. Protectively, Eric stood next to me, sending soothing, calm feelings through the bond.

Within seconds I had plucked out plenty of information. I relayed it to Eric. "Clark Halloway. Thirty-two. Wife, Annie. Two kids; Eliza, six, and Brad, three. Has had four affairs," I shot Clark a dirty glare, "And is a member of the fellowship."

As I gathered more information I let out a gasp. "His most recent mistress was Arlene; she told him about me and my uh.. _handicap_. He hasn't told any of the other members. But they know I'm connected to you."

Eric nodded, urging me to go on. Clark shifted in his bindings and groaned a little. "Oh god... oh, Eric, they want you to.. oh god," I moaned and swayed on my feet, removing my hand from Clark's shoulder so quickly you'd think he was made of fire. Eric caught me before I fell, concern written over his features.

"What's wrong, dear one?"

"They want to convince you to meet the sun."

* * *

After revealing the fellowship's plans to Eric, I was too exhausted to stand and wait as he decided what to do with Clark. Eric had helped me back to my room and into bed, then returned to the kitchen to call Pam and deal with Clark. Because he had kids, I didn't want him to die; Eric had sensed this and reassured me that he would be glamored so heavily that not only would he _hate_ the fellowship and all it stood for, but he would devote his love to his wife and children. No more affairs for Clark Halloway. It was such an un-Eric thing to do- saving a marriage and a worthless life- but I was grateful that he did it for my benefit.

After maybe two hours, I heard Pam leave with Clark in tow, and Eric slipping into bed with me. Thinking I was sleeping, he spooned me, draping one pale arm over my waist.

"I'm so sorry, lover," he whispered softly before nuzzling his face into my hair.

Well, that was weird. No way was I going to let _that_ go. "For what?"

He didn't jump, but I could tell he was surprised I had responded. "Tonight did not go as I planned. I wanted our renewal to be glorious, as it should have been the first time we bonded. Instead, it was just as before; rushed due to unfortunate circumstances."

I just shrugged and turned in his arms, snuggling into his hard chest. "I thought it was fine. It was still... _pleasurable,_" I purred. "We can make it a whole big thing next time, if you want."

"Will there be a next time?" he asked. I didn't have to look up to see that he was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

I mumbled a yes. Another idea popped into his head and he questioned, "Did you see the kitchen table?"

When I woke up this morning and went to make my coffee, I had almost been scared to see what was left of my grandmother's kitchen table; the one Eric and I had broken in a round of nookie. But when I rounded the kitchen corner and saw it, my breath had stopped in my throat. It looked perfect; the broken shards of wood were back in place, and upon further inspection I had noticed you couldn't even tell that it had been broken in the first place. "Oh, I forgot to thank you for that! It's perfect. Thank you so much."

His chest swelled with pride. Ever the arrogant vampire, he said, "Yes, it does look even better then before, doesn't it?"

I snickered and nodded, then remembered how I had heard him earlier, so I quickly asked him about it.

"Ah," he breathed out. "It is possible you will be able to, if we continue to reaffirm regularly. It might just be my thoughts, because we are bonded; or it could be all vampires. Remember that shared gifts are sometimes a circumstance of bonding, Sookie: if you are able to hear me, I will be able to hear you, too."

The thought was kind of creepy. The reason I liked being around vampires so much was because I didn't have to hear their thoughts; it would complete silence, bliss, all the time. Eric sensed my hesitation and tried to send relaxation through the bond.

"Don't worry so much, Sookie. There is a very small chance of that happening; let's not think about it unless it happens."

Don't _worry_? Not only was there a possibility that I would soon be able to hear his thoughts, but there was a possibility the fellowship was going to kidnap him and force him to commit suicide: vampire edition.

"I can't not worry, Eric. That's a huge thing. Plus, in case you forgot, the fellowship is after you. That's a lot to worry about," I reminded him.

He let out a _pft _sound. "Hardly a concern, my sweet."

"Hardly a concern?" I repeated, pushing away from him. "Hardly a concern?! Eric, you could leave me for good!"

At this he shot upright, pulling me with him, his head ducked to peer into my eyes in the darkness. "I am more concerned that they are using you to get to me. Because of their tactics, Sookie, they will be dealt with immediately. I will keep you safe. Worrying about me is pointless; I will be fine. You must sleep now, lover."

But the adrenaline from arguing was still pumping through my veins. "You know, that's another thing, I don't like you calling me lover. I am a wo-"

He cut me off. "An argument for another time, Sookie. Sleep, please," he almost begged. With a sigh I complied, lowering myself to the mattress. He followed suit and I cuddled against him, trying to brush away my anxiety as I closed my eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Recap:** Clark Halloway, a member of the Fellowship, shows up at Sookie's house to get her or Eric. After Sookie interrogates him, she learns the Fellowship wants to force Eric to die for good.

* * *

My eyes were crusty slits when I opened them and focused on the window outside. Still dark- had I only gotten a few hours of sleep? But when I turned to look at my alarm clock, I realized it was seven- the following night! I sat up with a start and noticed that something in my bed protested the movement. It threw something around my waist and I shrieked, thrusting out my leg to kick it swiftly.

"Ack! Sookie!" It hissed. My eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room and a blush crept over my cheeks.

"Sorry Eric... I didn't think you'd still be here," I answered. He mumbled something about wanting to be here for me and then rolled over. "Are you still sleeping?"

He sighed and sat up. "No. Thinking. I've been up for a while. You need to eat."

When he said it, a pang of hunger hit me and I nodded grudgingly. I slipped out of the bed and took care of my bathroom business before padding down the hallway in my underwear. Really, it's a good thing Amelia and Octavia weren't home. I made myself a sandwich and ate it fast, then went to the living room. Eric was clad only in boxers, sitting on my sofa, leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands intertwined together. His eyes were dark as they watched the news intently. Slightly confused by his interest in it, I sat next to him and listened to the local reporter.

"There have been a number of reported attacks in the Shreveport area. Police say they are doing the best they can," at this Eric snorted, "to ensure the safety of local vampires. Jean, back to you." The screen switched from a blond reported to a brunette at the news station.

"In more local news, a woman identified as Arlene Fowler has been found, dead, at her home. Her children were not at home at the time of death. Police reports have mentioned it was suicide, though there was no note. Arlene was a-"

Without thinking, I dashed for the remote and turned off the TV, and fixed my eyes on Eric. He returned my icy glare with one of his own. "What?"

"You KNOW what! Why did you do it?" Since I was standing, I felt like I had the advantage, towering over him for once.

His icy glare changed to a look of confusion, before morphing into one of anger. "You are accusing me of... Of murdering that woman?"

"Yes! I am!" My hands were on my hips now and oh, I was angry.

He rose to his feet and looked down on me, obviously furious. I almost backed up in fear but thought better of it and raised my chin defiantly.

"Woman, I refuse to explain myself to you. Think what you will," he spat. He stepped around me and disappeared from the room and was back in a flash, completely dressed. "Either way, Sookie, that woman got what was coming to her." And with that he was gone from the house, the only evidence of him leaving was the resonating thud from the door.

I sank back down into the sofa, fists balled because of a shaking anger I knew wasn't mine. Sure, I was angry. He killed one of my ex-best friends and left her children motherless. No matter what she had done to me or anyone else didn't matter- she didn't deserve to die.

* * *

Three hours later I was still contemplating Arlene's death. Waves of anxiety washed over me, each one stronger than the last as my body registered that Eric was no longer near. The anger in the bond had simmered into just a hurt feeling, intensified because both Eric and I were feeling it.

In the past three hours, I had admitted to myself that it was wrong to accuse Eric so quickly. There was no proof that he had killed Arlene; though I was upset that she was dead, I couldn't just place the blame on Eric.

Just because Bill had killed my uncle when I told him of his... misconduct, doesn't mean Eric would kill Arlene simply because she posed a threat. Eric was better than that. And much, much more calculative. Her sharing the information about my handicap was probably trivial to Eric; by glamor or by manipulation, he could have gotten her to back off.

Heaving a sigh, I trudged to my bathroom to take a shower. No matter how mad or upset I was, I had to see him. Not only did I feel stupid for accusing Eric, I also knew that if this issue wasn't resolved before sunrise I would be miserable until I saw him tomorrow night.

After showering, I lathered my entire body in a mandarin-mango lotion and blow dried my hair to voluminous perfection. My make-up was done with a hand so light, you could barely tell I was wearing any- Eric would love that. With that thought I frowned; impressing Eric wasn't my main goal all the time, and I was disappointed that I immediately thought of what he would think about my outfit.

Because I was definitely still mad. Even though I now knew it was unlikely that Eric had killed Arlene, he could have just denied it! He wasted so much time by acting as if he had done it.

Stubborn arrogant ass.

* * *

At the door to Fangtasia, Pam greeted me (and my light blue halter summer dress) with a mischievous grin plastered on her thick lips. "Sookie! You look delicious," she licked her lips to emphasize her point as she led me into the bar. "It's about time you came to apologize."

I halted in my tracks. Pam rolled her eyes and tugged an unwilling me along as she weaved her way through the crowd. "I wouldn't have to apologize if he hadn't acted like he killed Arlene!"

Pam waved a hand as if to say, _who cares?_ "Sookie, Eric may be cold hearted in some situations, but I must say, when something involves you he treads _very_ carefully. He did not kill that woman."

"Well, I know that _now_! Besides, how do _you_ know?"

"Because I killed her. Really, Sookie," she said, sounding exasperated. Shocked, I dug my heels into the ground and Pam stopped walking when she realized she couldn't drag me any more. "What?"

"_You_ killed Arlene? Pam!" I gasped, "Why would you do that?"

Pam turned to face me completely, her smile friendly, rather than the murderous one I expected to see. "Sookie, you are my friend, yes?" I nodded. "Arlene was your friend?"

Wow, tough question. "Well, she was, but not really anymore..."

"Because she- how do you say it- stabbed you in the back?" I nodded again. "Dear Abby says real friends do not stab you in the back. She says real friends take care of each other and defend one another. As you are my friend, I defended you against the wicked woman, and now she is dead."

The way Pam said it made it seem like perfect logic. I was too stunned to even respond to that, so I let her continue to drag me towards Eric's office. "He was too sullen to enthrall the vermin," she explained, "So he has holed up in there. I'm sure you can use that dress to your advantage while apologizing," she winked. Studying it for a moment, she reached out and tugged it at the waist so more of my cleavage was showing. "Better. This will speed up the process, I'm sure."

Okay, you know, whatever. "Um, thanks Pam." She nodded and pressed a kiss against my now flushed cheek.

With that she was off. I took a deep breath and tapped on the door gently.

"Come in, Sookie."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Hey, I'm so sorry for the wait. Been having some issues with anxiety. And these chapters are always sort of hard to write, lol. Hope you enjoy!

**Recap**: Eric and Sookie get into an argument about Arlene's death. However, anxiety sets in and Sookie goes to Fangtasia to talk to Eric, where she finds out it was actually Pam who killed Arlene.

* * *

"I've been waiting for you," he said softly, without looking up from his desk. "Since the moment you decided to come apologize." Finally he set his pen down and smirked up at me. "Well?"

Damn blood bond.

"Well… I'm sorry," I spat. I had done what my gran had always taught me; I was the bigger person and came to see _him_. Even though I was wrong, he didn't have to be so arrogant about it! "I shouldn't have accused you. But you know, when I told Bill about my uncle-"

Here he cut me off. "The funny one?"

I knew he wasn't using funny as the kind of uncle who tells jokes; he meant the kind of _funny_ that really meant sick-in-the-head. Uncomfortable, I shifted from my left leg to my right. Where had I been going with this, anyways? Oh, right.

"Erm, yes," I squirmed again. "See, Bill had _him_ killed so I thought that you would-"

Cut off again! "Do not compare me to Compton, Sookie," his eyes flashed with an unspoken warning. Involuntarily, I flinched back.

"Sorry. Again. Well, even without the comparison, I thought that you were going to-"

"Kill that woman because I am a cold blooded vampire with no regards to your input in the situation? That I would murder her because she betrayed you?"

What can you even say to that? Puzzlement crossed my face so I answered quietly, though I knew he would hear it. "…Yes?"

Eric rose, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest. His large presence filled the room and I felt overwhelmed, so I shrinked back and sat on the leather sofa. "Sookie, if I killed everyone who had betrayed you, Bill, Alcide, Quinn, and even Jason would be dead."

I knew I didn't have a good track record with the men in my life, but having Eric remind me of it deflated my spirit even more. Unintentionally, my shoulders slumped and I pouted. I also knew that Eric had purposely left out a few people because he could feel my inner wince at each name he ticked off. That's just not fair; he knows all about _my_ life but I know nothing about his.

Stay on track, Sookie. Conversation for another time. After giving myself a mental smack, I simply said, "Okay."

Eric took a small step closer. "You must trust me." It wasn't an observation, or a request. It was a command. And usually I don't take too well to commands, but he had a point. There was absolutely no reason for me to not trust him. Since I met Eric, he had always been there for me. He showed up in Dallas to keep me safe, took a number of bullets for me, bonded with me (even though I didn't want to at the time, but he did it for my greater good), hid a body for me, and showed up to save me when I was practically kidnapped by Sandra Pelt. On top of all that, he regraveled my driveway when I most needed it.

Eric may me all about himself, but he certainly had gone out of his way to make me one of his top priorities.

So rather than argue about how I am my own woman and will trust who I damn well please, I just gave him a small smile. "You're right."

Eric had probably not expected me to give in. The smirk melted from his lips and was replaced with a gaping mouth. Shock crossed his eyes; they widened slightly and his one eyebrow lifted. Obviously, he had expected me to sass back.

Kudos for me, I surprised a vampire!

Not to be rendered wordless for too long, the shock fell off his face just as quickly as it had appeared. It was replaced with a look of conceit, lips in a relaxed smile and eyes smoldering at me. "Of course I am."

Though I was a constant witness to vampire speed, I was surprised when I found myself sitting on Eric's lap on the sofa. There was only a _whoosh_ of air rustling the papers on his desk that proved that he had moved at all. I swiveled around so I was facing him and gave him a seductive smile. After being seperated from Eric for a few hours, I felt _very_ playful.

"Maybe you should be rewarded," I murmered against his lips before parting them with my tongue. A rush of cool air blew into my mouth as he obliged my request. One of his hands tangled in my hair, clenching it and drawing it back from my face while another wandered from my waist up to my chest. I friskily ground against him, silently thanking myself for wearing a dress. The bulge in his jeans had already formed and rubbed against me as I grinded down on him. With one hand on his cheek, I trailed the other down his hard chest and to his pants, freeing him from his constraints with ease.

Keeping up the movement, I gripped his length and stroked him, and he let out a moan into my mouth. I quickened my pace and he let one of his hands fall to my thigh, pushing up the hem of my dress. My panties were quickly torn off and thrown to the floor, the feel of the fabric against me replaced by Eric's hand.

He rubbed my clit and then dipped two fingers into me, and I arched back, forgetting to tend to him for a moment. My hand returned to its movements as he picked up his own pace, thrusting in and out with a determined rhythm. As I began to climax I moaned Eric's name and whimpered a _please_.

"Please what?" He asked huskily, slowing down his movements. I slowed mine in returned and raised myself from his hand, eager to take him.

"Eric, I need you in me, please," I moaned. Hearing me admit it pleased him and he gripped my hips after positioning himself, and yanked me down on top of him. I cried out and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. My walls tightened around him as he raised himself to plunge deeper into my depths. One finger rubbed around my clit, making me moan out his name.

I took over the movements and raised and lowered myself on him, out of breath and almost there. I lowered my head and he gripped my hips tighter. Eric cried out my name, followed by a string of what I assumed to be old Norse, which got me closer to the edge. We came together soon after and I dropped my head to his shoulder, eager to catch my breath.

Eric pulled out of me and eyed my panties sadly. "Well, lover, I believe I owe you a new pair."

And even though Eric and I had just had mindblowing sex, the anxious feeling in my chest still didn't go away.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **I just wanted to thank you all for your support; I love reading all the positive reviews and PM's. You guys are the best! I love you all! :) And you know, every time I feel like I'm having a hard time keeping Eric in character, I listen to a song by Eminem followed immediately with something by Johnny Cash. Random but I thought I'd share that, LOL. :)

**Recap**: Eric and Sookie make up, but her anxiety doesn't go away.

* * *

As I lay curled up in Eric's arms on his leather sofa, I went through different reasons for why I still felt panicked. My mind came back to only one thing: Eric is in danger, and I don't know what to do to keep him safe. Any attempt I make to help probably won't help much; him being a vampire gives him an advantage. In fact, the Fellowship was most likely wasting their time trying to get Eric; he's so damn pragmatic and skilled that this wasn't even a threat to him. But it was to me.

I had lost enough people in my life. Both my parents, my gran, and that's only in the physical sense. Within the past couple years, I felt like more and more people were getting dropped from my life; I lost Arlene as a friend, Jason as a close relative, and two boyfriends. Yes, in losing those boyfriends it led me to Eric, but still. That's a lot of loss for a girl like me, and I wasn't going to lose anything else if I had anything to do with it. Damn it, I'm gonna do what I can to make sure Eric is as protected as possible, whether he needs me to or not.

"Maybe you should come stay at my house," I suggested, trying to sound offhand.

Of course, Eric had felt my inner turmoil through the bond and ran a hand through my hair. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you are trying to protect me, dear one."

"Well... whatever. I think it's a good idea." Nice, Sookie, real articulate.

Vibrations rumbled through his chest as he spoke, which was a nice sensation so I pressed my head more firmly against his chest and tightened my arms around him. "Do not worry about me, Sookie. And as a matter of fact, that's a terrible idea. My house is much safer, as the Fellowship does not know it's location."

After he spoke, we both fell into a silence. I could tell Eric was deep in thought, because I felt curiosity and worry start to come across the bond. Oh, god, he's worrying too? So maybe I was wrong! Eric's worried about his safety, too, so obviously I wasn't being melodramatic. Is there more to it than I already know? Is there something he isn't telling me?

My bombarding of inner questions must have slipped through the bond because Eric rubbed my arm reassuringly. "Stop," he demanded, chuckling at what he probably thinks is ridiculous human emotion, but is really a plausible reaction to everything going on.

After another pause, Eric sat up abruptly. I unlatched myself from him, and slipped off his lap to sit facing him at his side. "What is it?" I asked.

"I believe it would be best for you to stay elsewhere. The Fellowship might believe I am with you and attack your house. This puts you in a very dangerous situation, one I am not comfortable with."

I almost snorted, but realized he was serious and rolled my eyes. "That's ridiculous, Eric, where would I go?"

He eyed me warily, then rose to his feet, pulling me up with him. "With me," he stated in an obvious tone. "Come, fix yourself, we will leave now."

"Now?" I squeaked. He pulled up his jeans and refastened them, then smoothed out his shirt. Following suit, I tugged the hem of my dress and straightened up the straps. As my panties were ripped up on the floor, I felt conscious about going back into the bar, knowing all the vampires would have more than a suspicion about what Eric and I were doing in his office.

Eric grabbed my hand and led us out the office and through the bar, straight to Pam, who was near the door. He gave her a nod and she gave a sniff. Then, she smiled, her fangs extended and offered me a wink. "As if the sounds coming from back there weren't obvious enough," she teased.

My jaw dropped. "Pam!" She just shrugged in response.

"We will go to my house, now, Pam. Please close up the bar. Hmmm...," he studied her for a minute, focusing on her black scarf. Weird. But Pam suddenly pulled it off and placed it in his hands. "Thank you, Pam," he said.

Once again I was hurrying to keep up with Eric, who was striding to his car with a purpose. When we reached it, he stopped, then turned to face me. "You must understand," he began, "That this is for the safety of both of us."

And with that, Pam's scarf was wrapped around my head, blocking my sight.

"Wait, why aren't I allowed to see where we're going?" Immediately I wanted to kick myself for sounding like I was whining.

Eric helped me into the car, buckled me in, and soon I felt us flying down the road, all in a matter of seconds. "Always remember that there are a number of things in this world that you do not know about. Yet."

_Yet_? A number of things I don't know about _yet_? Of course, I had always expected that since there were vampires, weres, and fairies, there would be other things, but having it confirmed was like a slap in the face. Especially that _yet_; that must mean some other type of creature-thing would make an appearance soon. I gulped out loud, and Eric chuckled.

"What does that have to do with me being visually impaired for the duration of this trip?" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. I sunk back into the corvette's leather interior, secretly grateful that I couldn't see. If I had been able to see the speed we were going, I would probably have a heart attack.

"Sookie, you are not the only one who can read minds. Some of the fey can do it, some vampires can, and other creatures, as well. Of course, there are some humans who have that ability, too."

Instantly I was reminded of Hunter and let out a little sigh. I hadn't told Eric about him and his abilities yet, and I wasn't sure when I would. Hunter and I both have the same handicap, and pretty soon I'd be seeing him a lot to help his dad deal with it. Eric could be understanding, but I couldn't anticipate his reaction with this.

Between trying to distract myself with work, falling back into bed with Eric, and the Fellowship's plans to force Eric to commit suicide, I hadn't even put a lot of thought into Hunter. There were so many possibilities with him; his dad could decide not to include me (doubtful), his dad could call me and ask for help (very likely), or maybe his dad will need me to take over for a little bit. Okay, now I'm definitely over-thinking this. Hunter's dad seemed determined to hold on to Hunter, and didn't seem like the type to just pass off his kid to someone when things got tough. So that last option is definitely out.

One thing is for sure, though. Eric needs to know about him, and soon. If this somehow got out to someone else- in the vampire community, mainly- it could be big trouble for Hunter and I would need Eric on my side. Well... now's a better time than any.

"Eric?" I asked softly, lifting my hand and moving it through the air to find his. He captured and cradled it.

"Yes?"

"Hadley had a son."

I could feel the tension through the bond and could tell he was trying to control his grip on my hand. "Oh?"

After taking a deep breath, I continued, "His name's Hunter. He lives about an hour out. He's so cute... and, um, he's handicapped."

Eric's grip didn't seem to be struggling anymore, and he stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. Huh. Weird reaction. Reassurance washed through the bond. "Oh, dear one, I'm so sorry. It must be hard for him to live with. And of course, if there is anything I can do to help, I will do so gladly, as he is your family."

HUH? My eyebrows furrowed, though I wasn't sure Eric could tell. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"His handicap, of course. Is it a wheel chair?"

Well, that explains the weird reaction. Had Eric ever heard me refer to my telepathy as a handicap? Apparently not. "No, Eric. He's, um, he's like me. He's telepathic, too."

The reassurance flooded out of the bond and was replaced with a feeling I couldn't quite put a name to.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **To save space, there is a note in my profile for you to read; it explains the lack of updates and I won't be able to update for a little while. I'm pushing myself to get this done, so warning: this _will_ be a cliffhanger! At least it will captivate you. :)

* * *

Frustration. Anger. Fear. Anxiety. Anger, again. No, none of these really captured exactly what I was feeling through the bond, but they were definitely laced in alongside whatever it was. Then, suddenly, nothing; all the feelings faded into a cool mask of calm.

"How long have you known?" His voice was even, firm but controlled, and I knew instantly that he was angry with me for not telling him about it. I winced internally.

"About a month." I sunk down into the leather seat, wishing I could tear off the blindfold and see his reaction, rather than try to decode it. On second thought, never mind. Maybe seeing the anger would be worse.

His jaw was clenched, I could tell by the clipped way he spoke. "This is something you should have told me sooner. The boy could be in danger." He was about to say something else, stopped, and the car jolted as he pressed a little harder on the gas.

Huffing, I whined, "It's not like we were even talking at the time, Eric!" Oh, now I was mad. How dare he blame me for anything Hunter could encounter! He's just a boy, and his handicap isn't even developed yet. Vampires may be heartless, but they sure are smart, and not one of them was about to kidnap a young boy who may or may not be of use to them. They would wait for a definite.

I hope.

"By the fault of _you_," he hissed as the engine roared. I gripped the sides of my seat, even more thankful that I had chosen to not rip off the blindfold. "Things would have been different had you not chosen to run away from me, from _us_! It was not my choice to hold off on talking, do not forget that. You were the one who pushed me aside. Do not try to blame that one on me, woman."

The car slowed, Eric sniffed, and I felt a worry that was not my own through the bond. My anger dissipated as I began to let the worry seep into me. The argument could wait, cause if there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that Eric would not be _worried_ in the middle of an argument for nothing.

Suddenly the scarf was yanked from my eyes. Eric had one hand on the wheel, the other on my thigh. His cautious gaze darted from my face to the road.

"Sookie," he said slowly, checking the speedometer. His voice lowered to a whisper so soft I had to strain to hear it. "We have a problem."

When a millennium-old vampire tells you there's a problem, your mind goes to the darkest of places. Eric has pillaged villages, bowled with vampire heads, and taken bullets. What the hell on the road or- worse, in this car- could give us a problem that he was worried about? Obviously, this couldn't be minor; running out of gas or a dying car battery or a herd of cows on the road were not a problem. Oh, god. My breath caught in my throat and I felt dizzy, but Eric's grip on my thigh tightened.

"No," he whispered sternly, moving his hand from my thigh to my hand. "Do not start with that. Shh," his eyes continued to dart back and forth, and I felt him trying to hide the worry in the bond and cover it with reassurance.

"What is it?" I asked sharply, quietly. I checked out the windows but didn't see anything. Eric was going at a steady speed of about 100 miles per hour. Damn speed demon vampire.

Matching my tone, he leaned closer to me. "I believe the car is bugged-"

I cut him off abruptly, not eager to hear the rest but curious for an explanation. "Huh? What even makes you think that?"

He rolled his eyes, and pointed to the fancy radio. How he couldn't have noticed it before, I wasn't sure; maybe he was so distracted in arguing with me that he didn't even notice that the glass on it was cut carefully in a straight line, and a weird round thing was inside of the radio, shielded by the glass.

"Oh, god," I whispered.

"There is also some sort of device in the engine. Sookie," he clamped his hand over my mouth, "you must not scream! Shush, woman! I am vampire, I can handle the situation, but you _must remain calm_!"

I nodded sullenly, trying my damndest to stay relaxed. Fixing my gaze on him, I urged him with a look to continue.

"Each time I press the engine faster, there is a click. No," he warned as I squeaked, "stay calm, please. We are going to drop the details. Listen carefully, Sookie, you must do as I say now." His eyes narrowed on the bug in the radio, and he leaned closer, right against my ear. His face was still turned to the road so that he could still watch where we were going. His breath was cool as it flowed against my cheek. "You will reach into the compartment behind my seat and retrieve the hammer that is there."

Now was not the time to ask questions, so I nodded my compliance.

"You will tell me you need fresh air with some human excuse and roll down your window. I will place the hammer on the gas pedal so the car will reach top speed. Make sure the window is rolled all the way down, Sookie. I will fly out and then pull you out with me. Do not worry. I will keep you safe."

"Why can't you just take out the bug?"

"I would like to not arouse suspicion. I can buy more time to investigate if they think I am dead, or close to it."

Struck silent, I just turned my head. Eric released my hand and turned his focus back to the road. I had been in worse situations, yes, but never had I been in a ticking time bomb situation.

Sweet Jesus, Shepherd of Judea- am I going to die tonight?

No. No. Eric will keep me safe. He said so. With a deep breath, I forced feelings of calm and relaxation upon myself.

Quietly as I could, I reached back and slipped my hand into the pocket compartment behind Eric's seat. I almost let out a giggle as I felt the firmness of his rump against the seat and a little groan of pleasure coming from him. My hand hit something hard and I gripped it, pulling it out; a large, surprisingly heavy hammer. Again, _so_ not the time to ask questions. With a gulp, I announced that I felt carsick and needed some fresh air, then rolled down the window all the way. Eric took the hammer from my clammy hands and lowered it by his feet. After fumbling for a bit, I undid my seatbelt then unclasped his.

There was a thump as Eric dropped the hammer onto the gas pedal. The car jolted as it began to pick up speed and the speedometer climbed further. Eric threw me a quick glance and I readied myself to be swooped out the window. But that part didn't happen.

In a flash, Eric was out of my window and then, completely out of sight.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **I would have had this up yesterday, but I couldn't sign on! Anyways, I noticed something great about codeine cough medicine… I suddenly had all these REALLY great ideas for this story; totally creative and exciting. And the bad thing about codeine cough medicine… the ideas didn't stay with me for long. :( LOL. Thanks for all the well wishes; I'm almost 70% better! :)

* * *

My heart raced as feelings of abandonment began to sink in. Alone, in the dark, in a rigged and bugged Corvette. The engine roared as the weight of the hammer pressed harder on the gas pedal, pushing the car to its limits. I did a mental math equation, trying to figure out exactly how long I had until the damn thing blew up.

Unfortunately, school was not my forte, so I had no idea how long I had. But after a glance at the speedometer, I realized it wouldn't be long; the flicking arrow was already halfway towards the death point.

I didn't know what to think of to distract myself from my impending death. So I decided on trying to decipher the culprit. Whoever had placed the bomb in the car must have known Eric drove like a bat out of hell on most (read: all) occasions. And, obviously, they were probably from the Fellowship. Unless, of course, there was a vampire who desperately wanted Eric wounded. Or would he die in a massive explosion? Maybe it was Victor; that skeez of a vampire didn't look like the follow-orders type. Maybe Victor wants Eric's territory. Maybe Felipe wants Eric gone because he poses a threat. He's old and he's a Viking and he's powerful, so that could definitely be a stone of worry for a new king. If I don't die, that's definitely something I want to mention to Eric.

If he even comes back for me. If I manage to escape and forgive him.

Back to original thoughts. The Fellowship was probably keeping an eye on Eric to find the best way to catch him or victimize him. This situation definitely qualifies as "victimizing," and obviously the rigger was a human, because a human probably wouldn't know that Eric could detect a bomb or a bug or anything.

And what was up with the bug in the car? There were so many possibilities that could explain all of this, my mind was spinning. Had someone known that I was going to be in the car with Eric? Had they wanted information from me? This person had to have been after both of us, then. And said person would also have had to follow both of us to know I was even going to be with Eric tonight.

Maybe the person had been following us for a while. Maybe they saw me leave Hunter's house. Oh no… is he going to be safe now? Do I need to contact his father and have them run?

I winced and turned my attention to the car door. The window was still wide open, whipping cold air across my face. I could see nothing but the trees whizzing by and darkness. No signs of Eric, that bastard. Maybe if I could manage to get the door to stay open and jump out…

… And then I'd probably be bruised and battered on the side of the road, left lying in the middle of nowhere.

At least I'd be alive.

As I contemplated my chances of survival, something sparked in the engine, and I heard a _zinging_ sound as something clicked on. And then there was ticking. Each tick was shrill and seemed like it was counting down to my final moment. Something banged on the car and I shrieked, looking down into my lap so I wouldn't see what I assumed was a dead bat or bird on the windshield. Tears gathered on the rims of my eyelids and pooled down my cheeks, a rapid stream of sadness that I didn't bother to smother away.

_Tick._

I can't believe Eric left me here to die. We weren't having the best track record but things were usually going fine with us…

_Tick_.

Of course, I shouldn't have assumed that he cared about anyone other than himself. He's so damn pragmatic he probably figured it'd be best to lose _me_ than risk hurting himself. Geez.

_Tick_.

Reaffirming the blood bond with him was a stupid idea. All I felt across the bond was worry, worry, worry, and it had to be all my own. Because what the hell would that selfish, arrogant _ass_ be worried about?

_Tick_.

You're a stupid woman, Sookie Stackhouse. The wind was getting so fast I could swear it sounded like a whisper. The speedometer arrow began flicking on the edge.

_Tick_.

He doesn't love me. I shouldn't have set myself up for failure like this. I jumped into it too fast.

_Tick_… _Tick… Tick…_

Suddenly the time between each tick grew shorter. Something else banged against the car and I felt more worry in the pits of my stomach. I clenched my eyes shut and balled my hands into fists. This is it. Any minute now, and I'm done.

_Ticktickticktick-_

And then suddenly something cool was hoisting me up and out the window by my armpits. My ankle hit the frame of the window and a bone cracked, but it definitely beat death. My shoulders ached from having all my body weight dangling under them, but suddenly I couldn't feel any of the pain. I was pressed firmly against a cool, sturdy, long body.

Eric.

He landed on the paved road as the car zoomed past us, his eyes not even trailing it as it rode off into the darkness. No, those calm pools of blue were transfixed on me. Eric appeared to be scanning me over, and once his eyes reached mine again he let out a sigh and hugged me against his body. My feet weren't touching the ground which was great, because now I could really feel the pain in my ankle. Reassurance reverberated through the bond and I let out a little tiny breath and allowed myself to hug him back just as tightly.

"I felt your doubt in me, Dear One," he whispered against my hair. "I tried to get close enough, but the car kept going faster and I wasn't able to latch onto it tightly."

Well, that explains the banging. I just shrugged and nuzzled my face into his chest.

"You need to have a little faith in me, Sookie," he said softly.

I wondered if he knew that was a song. I laugh maniacally and he pulled away from me a bit, eyeing me with intensity now, eyebrows furrowed in a serious manner. Maybe one day I could get him to sing it.

A loud bang broke me from my nonsense and the night seemed to turn into day if only for a moment. The car had finally met its end; even from this distance, I could see flame-engulfed bits of metal. With a shiver, I arched my head back to look at Eric.

"Let's just go. We need to talk, but… let's just _go_."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**: I am soo sorry! I pinky-swear-and-stamp-it that I haven't forgotten about this story, but this damn chapter has been a nightmare. I've written it over eight times. Finally, I decided to take it in a different direction. It's super short because now I have to rewrite the other stuff I had posted, but I wanted to get something up. I hope it'll tide you over. Sorry for the wait!

**Recap:** After narrowly escaping Eric's de-bugged and bomb-implanted car, Eric and Sookie head off to talk.

* * *

The "flight" home took a little longer than I thought, though I couldn't be sure because I had kept my face pressed against Eric (I don't like flying, whether it be on a plane or on a vampire) and had drained my mind to thinking about happy thoughts, like sweet tea and pecan pie. When we landed, I finally realized why it had taken so long; instead of being planted in front of a house I wouldn't be able to recognize, Eric had brought us to my house. Though I was relieved to be at my own home, I looked at him in questioning.

"I thought you would feel more comfortable to be around your own thing," he said as way of explanation. Wordlessly I nodded and grasped his hand lightly, urging him to follow me into the house.

My legs were heavy with exhaustion, my ankle was throbbing with pain, and my entire body felt weak. After unlocking the backdoor I padded slowly to the dining room and plopped myself down in one of the chairs, crossing my arms over the table and resting my head in the nest they made. I heard another chair scrape slightly as Eric pushed it back and sat down, then raised my head to look at him.

He was glorious, even while he was flecked with dirt, his hair a tangled mess. His right ankle rested on his left knee and his elbows were propped up on the chair's arms. In the manner of a king, his hands were clasped together, the fingers interlocked, raised near his chest as he contemplated me with a serious gaze.

I wasn't in the mood for talking. I wasn't in the mood for eating. I wasn't even in the mood for some Viking-lovin'. All I wanted was to get cleaned up and collapse into the bed and sleep for a thousand years. Wanting that was probably a terrible thing, but nothing sounded better to me. So as he stared at me, I resisted the urge to talk. I refused to ask about Hunter's fate, about Eric's car, about why we weren't at his house, and if he was going to stay with me.

The only thing I did was tell myself not to fall asleep as I kept my head rested on my arms. If anyone was going to break this awful silence, it was going to be him.

And he did. "I have a favor to ask of you, Sookie."

"Mm-hmm?"

My response at first puzzled then amused him, but the light that sparked in his eyes faded quickly as I felt sadness- desperation even?- pace through the bond. "May I stay here?"

I raised an eyebrow then rolled my eyes. "Of course."

"… Why did you roll your eyes? Usually that's done with sarcasm." His voice was slightly hectic and he seemed confused.

I shook my head. "Not sarcastic. Just a stupid question. Of course you can stay. Whenever."

"Oh," Eric grinned, "Well I do love open invitations."

Knowing I wouldn't be able to grunt my way through the rest of the conversation, I pushed myself up on my elbows and propped my head on my right hand. "Why do you want to stay here anyways? Are you worried about your house?"

Eric chuckled awkwardly, his eyes darting around the room before resting on me. "No, no, Dear One. My house will be fine, it is heavily protected. You, however, are not. I will stay with you until your wards are strengthened and I will call one of my day men to be here while I rest."

My nose wrinkled as I gave him a sour look. "I can take care of myself, Eric, I don't need a babysitter."

"Sookie, I understand you like to be independent and do things your own way. However, we're in a different kind of situation here. Apparently I am not the only target; why would a bug be put in my car if I was the only one in it?" I opened my mouth to say something but he smoothly cut me off. "I do not want to frighten you but you could be in danger. And do not worry about the boy- don't look at me like that, I could see it in your eyes and feel it in the bond- I will have one of my men guarding him immediately."

"Eric!" My eyes widened as I gaped open-mouthed at him. "He has a _dad_, who has no idea what's going on with his son. You can't just send some guy over there to stand guard all the time without filling him in."

Eric raised his eyebrows and gave me a tight-lipped smile. "You know what you have to do, then."

I began to sputter in protest. "No, Eric, geez, it's really late, and-"

"And this is an emergency. His son's life could be at stake. Would you like to call him, or should I?"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N**:I just want to apologize, again, for the delay. My intention was to have Sookie and Eric at his house last chapter, but it wasn't the right time… so I threw myself off and had to rewrite all the chapters I had pre-planned. Anyways, I expect to be posting at a more regular pace from now on! Enjoy. And thank you, again, for all of your support.

**Recap**: Sookie gives Eric permission to stay with her indefinitely, and Eric convinces her to accept a bodyguard for during the day. Eric also suggests a phone call to Remy, Hunter's dad, so that they can keep Hunter protected.

* * *

As I hobbled about the kitchen, boiling water for some tea for me and warming up a True Blood for Eric, I felt his heavy gaze on me and a tinge of concern through the bond. I turned, slowly, careful not to twist on my ankle, and faced him. He was leaning against the sink across from me, his brow furrowed. The microwave beeped and he reached over, popped it open, pulled out the True Blood and shook it, not once taking his eyes off me. The phone was next to him, Remy's number written neatly on a post-it stuck on the phone. I had yet to call him- nervous not only to admit how foolish I had been, but also to disturb him so late.

Gran would be rolling over in her grave if she knew I was about to be so rude.

"What?" I asked with a heavy sigh.

"Let me heal you," he cooed. Thank god he wasn't pushing me to rush with this phone call. A small smile played on his lips and the tiniest bubble of lust churned in my chest despite my pain and anxiety. Quickly I shook my head.

"It's been a trying night, Eric. I'm really not in the mood." Maybe a little snippy, but too bad.

"But lover…," he purred seductively. He was behind me in a flash, gathering my matted, dirty hair in one fist and settling it on one side of my neck, leaving the other bare. His soft lips pressed a gentle kiss on the bare side, in the crook between my neck and shoulder. "I could relieve you of your tension…"

And just as I melted back into Eric's embrace, a 'pop' echoed in the room and Claudine appeared in front of me, a broad grin plastered on her face, pressed as close to me as Eric was. I felt like a Sookie Sandwich. Suddenly remembering she was a fairy, my eyes widened in alarm and I whipped my head from her to Eric in confusion- he had made no attempt to pounce on her, and there was no uneasiness in her eyes.

"Hi Claudine," I chirped. "Quick question: why hasn't Eric attacked you yet?" Eric snorted. My ankle pulsated heavily and I looked down at it, willing myself not to get sick at its maroonish-brown color. The bone was jutting out abnormally. I winced, but relaxed when one of Eric's large, calloused hands slid up and down my arm.

Claudine clapped her hands, clad in Beyonce-style metallic gloves, together. In fact, her whole ensemble was that of a performer's: silvery metallic mini skirt, knee length metallic gladiator sandals, and a shiny, silver, skintight tank top. She was like a whacked-out person from the future. "I learned the charm that masks my scent! Isn't it amazing?"

She raised her arm over my head, letting it dangle in front of Eric's nose. "How do I smell?" she asked with a giggle.

I stiffened as I heard him inhale deeply, waiting for his lust to overcome him.

Nothing happened.

Claudine pulled her arm back and I turned sideways to face them both. But as I did, I twisted too fast and felt something shatter in my ankle. "Aieeee!" I shrieked, dropping down to clutch my ankle. All I could see was plush red- oh my god, _blood?_

Before I could fall down to the floor, Eric had scooped me up and placed me on the kitchen counter. I whimpered, tears slipping freely from my eyes. A look of worry crossed Claudine's features as Eric whispered, "Shh," to me, over and over. Claudine's gaze flickered from my face to my ankle, her smile drooping as she took in the severity of the situation.

Eric, one arm on either side of me, tore his gaze to my ankle. When he looked up, his eyes were glazed over with bloodlust.

Oh, Sweet Jesus, Shepherd of Judea.

.Through gasps of breath and misty eyes, I looked down at my ankle. Blood dripped from it, dripping from what looked like-oh, god, no, what _is_- a bone, sticking out from my skin by at least an inch. It hurt, bad, but the shock of seeing how bad it really was made it that much worse. I let out a scream and tears flew from my eyes more freely.

"Brave Sookie, where has your courage gone?" Eric murmured, placing a kiss on my forehead and grasping my hands with his. He crouched down, disappearing in front of me, then began cleaning the blood from my ankle with his tongue.

"Claudine," he mumbled between licks, "Do something."

As quick as she was issued the command, Claudine snapped her fingers and a lavender concoction in a cocktail glass appeared in her slender hand. With one last, quick lick, Eric rose, his grip still firm on my hands. Claudine took a step forwards to stand next to him in front of him. I suddenly felt very small and childish for acting so silly. But damn it, it _hurt_.

"This will taste good, but you need to drink it fast," she smiled warmly, but it dropped quickly. "It will work immediately. Unfortunately… it will hurt worse before the pain gets better. But then it will be gone! All in a matter of seconds." She gave me a tight-lipped smile and a nod.

Already my hands had tightened in Eric's. "Um," I looked at her, and at the drink. "If it will hurt worse, I'd rather be able to hold something. Can you just… pour it down my throat?"

Claudine considered this, and then nodded in agreement. "Very good idea, cousin."

She raised the glass to my lips, which I had opened obligingly. The drink spilled into my mouth and down my throat, washing it with mixed flavors of plums, boysenberries, and grapes. Weird mixture, but it was delicious.

Suddenly the drink was gone. One the last drop trickled down my throat, the pain in my ankle intensified. Eric looked down and then cupped his hands over my eyes. I tightened my grip on Eric's hand as I clamped my teeth together.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my…" Claudine said, anxiety clear in her voice. "It should just be a few more seconds, Sookie."

In that split second of silence, a crack seemed to resonate in the kitchen and I felt the bone folding back in on itself. Then-as quickly as it had come- the pain was gone. Eric dropped his hand from my eyes and smiled. "Well done, Sookie."

As if I was a dog who had performed a trick well. I scowled at him. Claudine grinned. "Oh, Sookie!" she cried. She leaned over and gave me a hug. "I'm so sorry, but look, your ankle is fine now!"

I lifted it into the air and turned it both ways, pleased to see that it was back to its nice, tanned color. The bone was back where it should be, not even a scar present to show for the injury I had endured. I grinned, then smiled at both of them. "Great!"

But my smile dropped when I tore my eyes back to the phone. Eric looked towards it, then lifted my chin with a finger. "Things couldn't get any worse, Sookie. You might as well do it now."

"No, no, wait… Claudine, why are you here?"

Her proud smile dropped and she looked panicked for a moment.


	17. Chapter 17

"You mean… you don't know?" Claudine asked skeptically. Her glance flickered towards Eric, then back at me.

"Uh, no…?"

"Niall asked me to check on you, because you're in danger."

I refrained from asking why he couldn't check on me himself, knowing I'd get a response like, 'My Lord does not perform his own duties' or something absurd. Eric seemed more concerned then ever but masked his alarm through the bond, pushing through relaxation. It was heading at me full force; I was tired all of a sudden, my eyes drooping unattractively as I refocused on Claudine.

"That was earlier. I'm okay now. Some Fellowship bullshit, but I'm okay." I offered a small smile as reassurance. Claudine drew her lips in and raised her eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes. "Really, I'm fine. Just really tired."

"I suppose the phone call can wait until you wake up. But you must call him immediately, Sookie. The very minute you wake," Eric cautioned. He turned his stare to Claudine and the two shared an unspoken conversation.

She turned to me and wrapped me in a quick hug. "Well, off to bed for you then. I will check in soon, Sookie."

And with a _pop_, Claudine was gone. I leaned back on the counter against the cabinets, staring at Eric through half-lidded eyes. Eric grinned and gripped my hips, sliding me along the countertop towards him. He pressed his forehead against mine, smiling wryly.

"How tired are you, lover?"

Any thoughts of sleeping dissipated as lust- pure, raw, uncensored, lust- crossed through the bond. With a deep breath I pressed myself more firmly against Eric, tangling my arms about his neck. "Not so tired anymore," I murmured silently before tilting my head to plant kisses along his neck.

Eric purred extravagantly and lifted me off the counter, whirling us around to press against the kitchen wall. Even though it was dark and it was doubtful that anyone was up this late, I was glad the blinds were closed. With a giggle I wrapped my legs around Eric's waist and ran my fingers through his hair. Eric pushed the hem of my dress up, sliding his fingers gently along my skin as he circled them around my thighs. His mouth moved from mine down my jaw, planting kisses over every inch of skin as his fingers circled me and then dipped inside. I arched my back a little with a groan.

And then his fingers were gone and my feet were planted firmly on the ground. Eric was looking around in concern. "Damn it, Eric," I whined. He didn't look at me, so I placed a hand on his face. "You can't just leave a girl hanging like that," I mumbled, pressing myself against him. Gently, but with firmness, he pushed me back.

"Sookie, we have to leave," he said suddenly, placing a hand on my lower back. "Hurry, let's pack some things, we must go."

I narrowed my eyes and stayed where I was, crossing my arms over my chest. "Oh, no, mister," I shook my head for emphasis, "_I'm_ not going anywhere until you tell me why you didn't finish what you started. Can't it wait for ten minutes?"

Despite his serious attitude, Eric let out a brief chuckle. Unfortunately, the amusement didn't reach his eyes. "Lover, when we fuck, as we were about to, we would need much longer than ten minutes. Do not kid yourself."

I blanched, and then realized he had dropped his contractions. Worry overtook my embarrassment as I stared at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "Eric!" I hissed. "Shit! What's going on?"

"Staying here was just a bad idea, Sookie. I forgot that they know where you live. So now, we must pack up some of your things, and go somewhere safer." He stole a glance out the window and frowned. "And we must hurry."

I wasn't sure if that really was the reason for us leaving, but I was already scared so I decided to listen to him. I snapped up the phone as we hurried into my bedroom, dialing Amelia's phone number. Of course it went straight to voicemail. I left a quick message, letting her know to not come home until further notice.

Eric opened my closet and grabbed an old duffel bag from my closet floor. He placed it on the bed and I quickly began pulling clothes out of the closet; jeans, shirts, a few sweaters, a jacket, some shoes. I handed each item to him and he stuffed them in with ease. After I had packed about 10 outfits, Eric stopped me.

"That should be enough, Sookie. We can come back for more or I can buy you new things, if you need them." He turned to my chest of drawers and then yanked the top one open. Tons of underwear and bras were being thrusted at me quickly, so I stuffed them in the duffel bag without bothering to look and see what he had picked out.

Eric looked up suddenly and swore. "Sookie, grab your toiletries, I'll pack your pajamas. Quickly!" He turned away and began pulling pajamas from my drawer. I hurried into my bathroom, looking around for the things I needed. I yanked my toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant from my cabinet, then snatched up my makeup bag and hairbrush.

From the bathroom I could hear grass crackling and Eric swear. I let out a little scream. "Eric, what was-"

I walked out the bathroom and was pulled into Eric's grip. In one beat he placed a finger over his lips, punched out the glass on my bedroom window, grabbed my duffel bag, and had me jump on his back. In seconds we were soaring through the sky. Once we reached the air I looked down and noticed shadows moving around in my house.

"Eric! Damn it, my house! Someone is in my house!"

"Shush!"

Men started yelling and I heard a click of a gun. Before I could warn Eric, a gunshot rung through the air.


	18. Chapter 18

It's possible that I made things worse by screaming. Eric hushed me again, hissing my name sharply. I couldn't help it. The bullet had missed; but the fact that someone was trying to shoot us out of the freakin' air scared the hell out of me.

I was so distracted that I didn't even bother scanning their minds. Once I remembered to, we were long out of their range- I could tell because Eric had calmed down considerably, and their was no longer a constant _hum_ in my mind. Below us was a housing tract, some sort of huge suburb. Eric lowered us to it, and after scanning around us, landed. This time I was set down gently. I eyed it cautiously, then raised an eyebrow at him.

"Where are we? I thought your house wasn't safe," I questioned, keeping my voice quiet.

Eric chuckled. "Lover, I have _many_ houses. This one, I'm sure, is safe. It is my main house."

"Well where were we going earlier?"

Eric took my hand, lacing his large fingers through mine as we walked quietly through the chilly early-morning air towards wherever he lived. The houses were all alike, varying only in color and the way they were facing. White picket fences were laced with lush green ivy, perfectly pruned gardens were in every lawn, and almost every large tree had a swing attached to it.

"A more secluded house, which was appropriate at the time. However, now you get to see how I usually live. How exciting for you," he teased.

He slowed as we approached an equally-quiet street. We stopped in front of a peach-toned house with a perfectly tiled auburn roof, and surprise, surprise- the white picket fence was covered in ivy. The garden was perfectly tended to, and the glass in the windows were darkly tinted and looked more durable than ordinary glass. A raised porch wrapped around the entire house; in the front there was a hanging sofa-swing with a few chairs. It was the most anti-Eric house I could ever have imagined.

"This is your house?"

He nodded simply, proudly. "I own the entire development, as a matter of fact. I chose the uniform of the houses, the street names, and the security, of course. You'll find many vampires in the area live in this development, as well as some of the more well-off weres."

"Pam lives here too?"

Eric nodded and pointed to the house directly across the street from his, a mirror of his house in blue hues rather than peach.

With a chuckle, I turned to look at the street sign we had passed earlier, the one indicating what street it was he lived on. I squinted at the reflective letters, and burst into laughter. Eric gave me a wry smile. "Something funny, lover?"

"Wisteria Lane?" I wheezed out some giggles. "Like in Desperate Housewives!"

"I happen to enjoy that show very much. A box connected to my television records it for me so that I may watch it as I please. Also, I have the seasons on DVDs."

Attention all single ladies: Handsome, thousand year old Viking vampire. 6'4" with blond hair and dazzling blue eyes, with a hard-body and a nice toosh. Can speak a multitude of languages and is well endowed. Oh, and he likes Desperate Housewives.

I laughed harder as I flashed the advertisement through my head. Then again, it made sense that he enjoyed it; it was full of beautiful, conniving, manipulative women who manage to get away with everything. Most of the plotlines screamed Eric's name.

"I guess I'm not that surprised," I gave him a smile. "Who's your favorite character?"

Eric seemed to consider this a moment. "Bree, I'd say. She does things so professionally. However, Dana is doing an excellent job also."

"Dana?"

"Dana Delaney. She plays Catherine. She has come such a long way." There was a gleaming of memories in his eyes.

I stared at him blankly. "A long way since what, exactly?"

Eric grabbed my hand and pushed open the knee-high latched gate, leading us both up the walkway. At the door, he entered in some numbers on a keypad, had his fingers scanned, and once it beeped with approval, he unlocked the door with a key he retrieved from his pocket. "I met Dana in the seventies, when she was working as a cocktail waitress in New York. She was talented, but is more skilled now."

My jaw dropped. "Wow," I breathed. I wondered what other actresses he had met in his lifetime.

Eric closed the door behind us as we stepped into the house. The entryway floor was cherry hardwood, the walls a simple beige color. "Sunrise is coming soon, lover. I hope you don't mind putting off your explorations 'til you wake."

I just nodded gently, eyes searching the house thoroughly. It was spotless, and I don't know why that surprised me. Not that Eric was messy- but between Fangtasia and the vampire politics, I didn't see when he would have spare time to clean.

Of course, he probably hired someone to clean for him.

Directly in front of us was a dining room, beyond that, and partially concealed by an arched wall, was a kitchen. To the left there was a hallway, with a slightly spiraled staircase to the left of that hallway and a larger room, which I expected to be the living room- though I couldn't tell. Eric tugged on my hand, leading me to the right, where we passed a games room. The layout of his house was odd, I had to admit. There was another staircase (obviously, the house was a lot bigger on the inside than I could have possibly imagined) that Eric led us up.

"Two staircases, Eric? Is that necessary?"

Eric turned to me briefly, flashing a dazzling grin. "The other staircase leads up to the second floor. This one, however, goes to the third and is heavily protected."

He was right. At the top of the staircase was a door. Not even a hall- just a heavy metal door with a panel. He tapped one of the screws on it and the panel flipped open, revealing a keypad with letters and numbers. It beeped a few times as Eric tapped in codes before swinging shut.

After a pause, there was a louder _click_ and the door opened. Eric pushed it open wider and released my hand. "After you," he purred seductively.

With a wry smile, I stepped through the doorway. The entire "third floor" was one large room- a bedroom. In the middle of it was a bed -even bigger than a California King- set with a plush-looking crimson bedspread. To the left of the bed was a shiny black dresser next to a door, and to the right, a closet.

Curiously, I made my way to the door and pulled it open as Eric remained by the doorway, smirking. The lights turned on automatically and I gasped in surprise. With a golden-tiled floor and gold marble counters, Eric's bathroom was by far the most glorious I had ever seen. A claw foot bathtub, easily 9 feet long, stood in one corner by – Thank God – a toilet. On the opposite side of the bathroom was a glass paneled shower the size of my bathroom at home.

Eric placed a hand on my shoulder and spun me around, pressing me against the door sill. His eyes smoldered down at me as he ran a hand gently up and down my arm. "Lover, it has been quite a night for you. I believe you've gotten quite dirty."

Picking up on the game, I raised an eyebrow and tugged on the bottom of his shirt until it was over his head and on the floor. "Oh, I'd have to agree. So dirty that, you know, I just don't think I can clean myself up." I edged sideways from the doorsill, towards the shower and opened the door. Eric's mouth met mine and he pushed us both into the shower, slamming the door behind us with an echo. Without tearing his lips from mine, he reached behind us and spun the knobs on the shower until a steady stream of warm water was pouring down on us, clothes and all.

Fervently, I fumbled with the button of his jeans as he slipped my sopping dress with ease. Eric tore off my bra, not needing to bother with underwear since mine were torn and lying in his office somewhere. He pressed me against one of the glass walls and peeled off his own jeans and boxers, then brought his lips down my neck to my breast.

I threaded my hands through his hair as he brought his free hand down to my folds, circling my center. "Is that from the shower or were you ready for me?" he teased giddily, gently nipping the side of my breast. As I arched my head back, he spoke again. "No, lover. Look at me."

I obliged, tilting my head to gaze into his crystal blue eyes. With a smirk, he continued massaging my breast with his tongue and dipped his fingers into me. I stifled a moan and caught my lower lip between my teeth. "Eric…" I whispered, wetting my lips as he brought his lips from one erect nipple to the other. I could feel him harden against me as his fingers slid in deeper and his thumb traced my clit. He pushed deeper, quickening his pace, driving me to the edge.

"Tell me what you want, Sookie," he demanded gruffly, staring at me with lust filled eyes.

Barely able to restrain myself, I pressed against his fingers. "You," I murmured silently.

Quick as lightening, Eric had both my hands pinned above my head by one of his, the other lifting me against him. His eyes stayed focused on me as he rammed into me. His mouth opened to reveal his extended fangs, and I eagerly bent my head forwards to meet his lips.

Eric's pace was steady, thrusting into me slower than he usually did. I panted into his mouth, whimpering his name silently. My hips eagerly met his with each pump.

As my walls tightened around his length and my release teetered on the brink, Eric lowered his lips to my neck. "Yes," I moaned, "Eric, please, yes…"

As he sank his teeth into my neck, we came together, synchronized in the most harmonious way.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter took so long! Surprisingly, writing about Eric's house was harder than anything else. Hope I was able to make up for the wait; I did make Eric finish what he started, after all. ;) Love you guys, for reeeeeal!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I won't waste your time with excuses, but I apologize for the extended hiatus. I'm on bedrest once again, so I will update as often as possible, but note, this story is very nearly done. I am not pleased with how I know it will end but… sometimes, stories just write themselves. Lots of foreshadowing here. It's just a short chapter to tide you over, for now.**

I woke up in a tangled mess of silky crimson sheets and motionless Viking limbs. Through the thick windows, I could just barely see the sun, already sinking behind the houses. On any other day, I would have been appalled at myself for sleeping through an entire day. But even after sleeping, I was exhausted.

Someone was trying to kill me, again. When does it ever stop? I had always believed myself to be a good Christian woman; though, it seems to me that good Christian women hardly ever have violent near-death experiences. At least, they wouldn't have as many as I seem to.

Someone was in my grandmother's house, again. Surely, by this time they had gone through all of my things, leaving me a hell of a mess to clean up. Perhaps they had even gone through Amelia and Octavia's things. Someone had tried to shoot Eric and me out of the fucking air. Who does that? Would it even be possible for a bullet to kill someone at that altitude? I shivered at the thought of Eric's and my body, woven together, plummeting from the sky before collapsing to the ground with a sickening thud.

Eric's arms tightened around me when I shivered, and I rolled around in his embrace to face him, offering him a half-hearted smile. His shining blue eyes opened weakly to look at me, then shifted to glance at the sunset.

"It's amazing how the end of something could be so beautiful," Eric said quietly. His face seemed to age years and a glint of sadness flashed in his eyes. "The end of a day moves so suddenly into night… the sunset is the only time you have to grieve for the loss of day. But once darkness falls completely, it's as if the day has been forgotten completely and you can move on with your life as you embrace the night."

My eyes widened slightly at Eric's statement. It didn't totally make sense to me, this over-analyzation of the sunset. It was like a metaphor gone wrong. Worried by his remark, I pressed myself firmly against his chest and offered him a warm smile. "Right… so, what's on the agenda for tonight?" I asked with false cheer in my voice. Eric raised an eyebrow at my failed attempt to be nonchalant. He untangled his legs from mine and rose from the bed, stretching his tanned, muscled, glorious body. My jaw dropped in sheer amazement. Though I had seen Eric naked many-a-time, never had I seen the muscles in his body rippling underneath the smooth planes of his body while he was standing. Amazing.

Eric looked down at me and smirked. "See something you like, lover?" I shrugged and blushed, burying myself in his sheets. "You should get up, Sookie. It's going to be a very long night."


End file.
